Spirituality in Sport
There are many reports of spiritual experience in sport. There have been a number of studies into what is know as flow experience, or more commonly known as the zone. Flow experience is not the same as intense spiritual experience but does sometimes include a sense of spirituality.
Flow experience is not found equally across all sports. Whilst some people have reported flow experience in cycling, it does not appear to be as common as in other sports. Cycling is a physically intense endurance sport in which people are often aware of pain. This may work against flow experience. The Zone usually refers to a situation where a person is performing within a sport to the peak of their ability and that performance is automatic, or flowing, lacking much conscious effort.
There have been attempts to pin down what characteristics are present during this state. Various characteristics tend to be present, starting, first and foremost, with mastery of the sport itself. Where skill exists, people can find themselves in a situation where their performance seems effortless, experience of time distorts as they focus entirely on the present. Their actions and their awareness merge and what they are doing, there and then, is its own reward. A clarity of aims also seems to be required going into the experience. It is as if nothing needs to be thought about and therefore thought drifts away.
The flow experience is not spiritual in most cases, but on occasion does seem to include spiritual experience. Another aspect of the flow state is a loss of self or self consciousness. Again, this varies from sport to sport, being more common, for example, in athletes, but not so common in figure skaters, where greater levels of conscious control are required. Sports where a loss of self consciousness is part of the flow experience are more likely to lead to intense spiritual experience.
This is an area of study which is growing and a greater understanding of it will develop over time, It does, however, seem to already suggest that the nature of physical activity is something that can be used to create intense spiritual experience.
Flow experience is not found equally across all sports. Whilst some people have reported flow experience in cycling, it does not appear to be as common as in other sports. Cycling is a physically intense endurance sport in which people are often aware of pain. This may work against flow experience. The Zone usually refers to a situation where a person is performing within a sport to the peak of their ability and that performance is automatic, or flowing, lacking much conscious effort.
There have been attempts to pin down what characteristics are present during this state. Various characteristics tend to be present, starting, first and foremost, with mastery of the sport itself. Where skill exists, people can find themselves in a situation where their performance seems effortless, experience of time distorts as they focus entirely on the present. Their actions and their awareness merge and what they are doing, there and then, is its own reward. A clarity of aims also seems to be required going into the experience. It is as if nothing needs to be thought about and therefore thought drifts away.
The flow experience is not spiritual in most cases, but on occasion does seem to include spiritual experience. Another aspect of the flow state is a loss of self or self consciousness. Again, this varies from sport to sport, being more common, for example, in athletes, but not so common in figure skaters, where greater levels of conscious control are required. Sports where a loss of self consciousness is part of the flow experience are more likely to lead to intense spiritual experience.
This is an area of study which is growing and a greater understanding of it will develop over time, It does, however, seem to already suggest that the nature of physical activity is something that can be used to create intense spiritual experience.
posted by craig fotheringham at 3:32 AM
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