Science is better understanding how brainwaves - specifically the suppression of certain brainwaves over others - leads to hyperfocus. Even then, it’s not a given that you’ll be able to tap into a meditative state on demand. This takes years of practice, and it’s typically achieved only through years of training, after which you can direct your brain into a hyperfocused state. While hyperfocus might be an inherent trait of ADHD, people without ADHD can also attain it through practice: via a runner’s high or for people who practice yoga, meditation and breath mingle to create a calm, focused mind. For video gamers such as Jovan Milenkovic, a competitive gamer with mild ADHD and co-founder of AhoyGaming, he credits ADHD for his sense of hyperfocus that allows him to give selective attention to the game he’s playing at the moment. Hyperfocus has long been seen as a benefit - or superpower, if you will - of ADHD. The good news for the non-runners among us is that thanks to new technologies, we can actually train ourselves to get into the zone at will. For instance, for the novice half-marathoner who has heard about the fabled “ runner’s high” and only manages to achieve it only once. There is one problem, however: getting into the zone isn’t guaranteed. It’s something into which artists and NFL players alike can tap into for composing an opus, or throwing a perfect football spiral.
Whether you get to these states as a yogi, an athlete, or as a knowledge worker, hyperfocus is another, broader, term that describes this heightened mental state.