Once I opened myself to seeing play as an attitude rather than just any activity that is ‘not work’, I became aware that often I only realised I was playing after the moment had passed. I assume that’s true for many people; that we only see play in our rearview mirror.
A lot of that is to do with the mood we get into when we’re playing. The psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi did studies on people whilst playing and noticed a common mood, or “experiential state”. When people are playing they are typically very ‘in the moment’. They can often lose track of time and find themselves totally engaged with that one activity. In his words he describes the “wholistic sensation present when we act with total involvement.”1 He goes on to share the testimony of a rock climber and what they felt as they climbed:
“You are so involved in what you are doing, you aren’t thinking of yourself as separate from the immediate activity.”
Csikszentmihalyi used the term ‘flow’ to describe this mood we get into when we play. He also noted that this mood was seen in some during religious experiences also. Its fascinating to me that both play and spiritual encounters can produce within people the same sense of ‘being in the moment’. Have you ever got into the flow during a time of worship or prayer?
In the church that I work at we have a monthly gathering of silent prayer. It’s not organised by anyone who attends our church but they use our space and I have enjoyed joining with them at times. I am almost ashamed to say that until I met with these wonderful people I don’t think I had ever sat silently in the presence of God for more than about 5minutes (not without some distraction or urge to do something ‘productive’ like read the bible). But this group sits for 20min. After a short moment of focus (a worship song is played, a candle is lit perhaps), and they are silent. No bible reading, no getting up and putting the kettle on. Just silence for 20minutes.
And I love it! To be honest the first 5minutes feel like an hour. But then I tend to get into the ‘flow’. I can’t say my mind never wanders, but it does come back again. And the last 10minutes, fly by like 60seconds. That is what Csikszentmihalyi is referring to.
Is it Play? Its hard to say. I can confidently say that I find it playful. I even find an edge of risky daring about it. In this modern western busy world, I just spent 20min with my eyes closed, in the presence of God without any exterior motivation other than wanting to be in the presence of God. It certainly results in the same feeling of worthwhileness.
Hopefully through this you can see how the concepts of play and spirituality are compatible. When did you last feel that sense of flow? Can you pinpoint spiritual experiences that often bring on that mood?
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, “Play and Intrinsic Rewards”, The Journal of Humanistic Psychology 15, no.3 (1975)