Do you always feel in control? The effortless state of ‘flow’ reported by sportspeople—where they anticipate and quickly react to their opponent’s moves—is a highly sought-after state.
But for those with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, losing control can be distressing says Vince Polito, from Macquarie University.
The sense that we have control over our own actions is called our sense of agency. By looking at what triggers and blocks the state of flow experienced in elite sportspeople and musicians, Vince hopes to better understand the common causes of losing control.