[rwdim]

I personally find coding to be a mental exercise that, at least for me, allows me to time travel. If I am engaged in the design of an algorithm, or set thereof, time passes very very quickly and my perception of it is non existent.

I have gone for 12 hours without even noticing any time passage, much to the chagrin of my wife and ride-home-needing-daughter.

Side effects? Since it’s meditation for me, it’s a relaxing retreat without any visible (at least to me) issues.. I guess I don’t see how long bouts of concentration can be damaging to the psyche.

I’ve also noticed that if I narrate my development (as if recording a tutorial) that a I am unable to achieve time travel. Been doing it for 40 years... yikes..

[onecommentman]

A friend referred to this in another context as a “mathematician’s high”. It’s not exactly “flow”, more focused than “musing”, closer to what appeals to puzzle enthusiasts. It fails the test for transcendence because it doesn’t make you a more compassionate person. Saves money on recreational drugs, though.