'Flow state' uncovered: We finally know what happens in the brain when you're 'in the zone'

A man with tan skin and black hair wearing an EEG cap with colorful electrodes on it as he plays a guitar. A researcher stands in the background at a computer, watching brain waves on the screen.

Many people know the feeling of being "in the zone": As they're fully immersed in a task, the background noise of the world fades and they may not notice time passing. Gymnasts may enter this all-consuming mental state as they're refining a floor routine, an artist might find "the zone" when adding delicate brushstrokes to a painting and a writer might enter it as they're crafting the climax of a chapter.

This state, known in psychology as a "flow state," is pursued by those who want to be more productive and creative in an enjoyable way. What happens in the brain during this state, however, has been under debate for more than four decades.