This study by Prof Conroy Cupido, published in SAMUS 43/44, delves into the interplay between flow states, positive emotions, and peak experiences in music listening, and sheds light on the novel application of autoethnography as method and its capacity to generate new knowledge.
Through this study, the author seeks to understand his personal experiences of the interplay between music, flow and self-actualisation. The article is interspersed with personal narratives from journal entries written after he initiated strong active music listening experiences where he purposefully selected music to elicit an affective response. He reflects on these music-listening experiences and explores how the various dimensions of flow induced by the music facilitates self-actualisation in his life.
He concludes that the deliberate act of actively listening to purposefully selected music proves to be an invaluable catalyst in inducing a cascade of positive emotions, peak experiences and states of flow.
Ultimately, music serves as an instrumental facilitator for those embarking on the path towards selfactualization, creating an optimal cognitive and psychological environment conducive to contemplation and reflection on this deeply personal journey.
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Cupido, C. 2024. The interplay between flow states in music listening experiences and self-actualisation: an autoethnography of a queer music educator. SAMUS: South African Music Studies, 43/44(1):225–258. https://doi.org/10.69684/samus.2024.44.1.13
