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Immersion Techniques
Category
- Immersion
Professor Hwang Nong-mun’s Concrete Practice Manual for Flow
1. Preparations for Full Immersion
To succeed in immersion, you must first prepare the environment and physical conditions.
To succeed in immersion, you must first prepare the environment and physical conditions.
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Clear problem definition: Select the most important and core issues among the unresolved problems . It is advisable to set a deadline to foster a sense of urgency, and it is advantageous to converge your thoughts by asking "why" rather than "how."
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Securing the environment and blocking unnecessary information: You must handle miscellaneous tasks in advance so that you can focus on one problem for at least one week , and thoroughly block out external information that can distract you, such as watching news or TV and engaging in casual conversation.
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Establishing a private space: You must secure a quiet and undisturbed solitary room or a space of your own to avoid unconsciously reacting to the words or actions of others .
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Regular exercise and protein diet: To prevent stress and sleep deprivation caused by extreme brain activity, you must combine this with regular exercise that makes you sweat for no more than one hour every day . In addition, a protein-rich diet essential for active brain function is helpful.
2. The 5-Step Training Method for Flow
Immersion requires basic physical strength like a marathon, so gradual training is essential.
Immersion requires basic physical strength like a marathon, so gradual training is essential.
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Step 1 (Thinking for 20 minutes): Practice focusing on unsolvable problems for 20 minutes, five times a day for at least two weeks . This is a warm-up phase where you gain confidence in your thinking skills through the experience of generating ideas by continuously thinking about even seemingly insurmountable problems.
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Stage 2 (2 Hours of Slow Thinking): Increase the difficulty and practice thinking for 2 hours once a day for at least 2 weeks . The key is to relax your entire body and master 'Slow Thinking' in a comfortable, meditative posture. Once you master this method, you will not get tired even if you think all day long.
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Stage 3 (Maintaining Optimal Condition): I exercise regularly for one hour every day, think for two hours on weekdays, and think all day on Sundays . This is the stage of making it a habit to maintain surging motivation and peak physical condition so that I can remain immersed for several days.
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Stage 4 (Thinking for 7 Days - Maximizing Brain Activity): You think about a difficult problem for 7 days . You think about nothing but that problem all day long, falling asleep and waking up with thoughts of the problem, and you experience a high level of immersion where brain activity is maximized.
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Stage 5 (Change in Values): Continue immersion for more than a month . You will feel an intense sense of nobility and calling that the work you do is the most important in the world, and gain insight and realization about the 'best life' of expanding the limits of your abilities.
3. A 3-day practical course for complete immersion
In fact, it usually takes three days of adjustment to enter a state of flow.
In fact, it usually takes three days of adjustment to enter a state of flow.
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Day 1 (Shaking Off Distractions): This is the most difficult and tedious day. Think slowly, as if taking a mental stroll, but do not try to forcibly chase away the endless stream of distracting thoughts; instead, accept them naturally. If you feel drowsy, sleep, and write down any ideas that come to mind immediately in your notebook, even if they seem childish.
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Day 2 (Ideas begin to move): Boredom becomes less than on the first day, and trivial ideas related to the problem begin to emerge from deep within your subconscious. Since your concentration starts to increase at this stage, you must absolutely avoid any behaviors that disrupt the flow, such as meeting people or drinking alcohol.
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Day 3 (The Joy of Thinking Surges): You become more than 70–80% focused on thinking about the problem, and thinking becomes not boring at all, but rather fun. Key ideas and inspirations useful for solving the problem begin to pour out.
Key Insights:
When applying immersion to daily life and work, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you must practice 'focus through relaxation (thinking slowly),' which involves relaxing your entire body and approaching it comfortably like meditation, rather than 'focus through arousal,' which causes stress and strain. Only when regular exercise is added to this can you reach the ultimate state of immersion, where you pour out ideas for days in a state of pleasure without getting exhausted.
When applying immersion to daily life and work, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you must practice 'focus through relaxation (thinking slowly),' which involves relaxing your entire body and approaching it comfortably like meditation, rather than 'focus through arousal,' which causes stress and strain. Only when regular exercise is added to this can you reach the ultimate state of immersion, where you pour out ideas for days in a state of pleasure without getting exhausted.
