Neojungian Academy has developed a novel framework by which we all are able to view our own personality type.  What’s really cool about it all is that each type has an extremely well-defined flow state….A state that we all uniquely feel at home with.  It is our ‘home base’ where all the really awesome qualities of our type are vividly showcased. In addition, Neojungian Academy has also delved deeply into the various ‘subtype’ archetypal states that each of us spends often considerable time in.  By having these archetypal states mapped out, we can, with a little self-observation, notice where our conscious attention currently resides, and we can learn more about what it is like to inhabit each of these subtypes.
In this coming series of articles, I will describe what it is like to be in flow, how distinct intelligences (among the sixteen described by Neojungian typology) coalesce to formulate this flow state, and to also document a few of the key subtypes in terms of how they play themselves out in my life.  
I am an ENFP, so what I will describe below and in the coming articles will document what it is like for me to live in that flow state and what the shifts to some of the archetypal subtypes feel like for me.  I will add that different ENFPs might experience each of these states in their own unique way, and also, other types will document their flow and subtyping experiences in distinct ways as well.  No matter what, I believe that each of us can reflect upon what it is like to enter the various subtypes, and how this amazing material can personally affect us in profound ways.

So what is it like for me in my flow/’Hero’ subtype?

As an ENFP, the key flow-state intelligences are EN, EF, EP, NF, NP, and FP.  What is it like for me as I inhabit each one of these Intelligences?

EN – Interpretive Intelligence

When I am in this Intelligence, anything from the surrounding environment can activate and stimulate my mind.  With an active interpretive intelligence, I am constantly on the lookout for topics that will allow me to find insight, inspiration, and novelty in areas that are known to contain all sorts of mysteries as well as any accompanying clues or hints.  
I can get on a bit of a high when I find a topic that appears intriguing or thought provoking.  Perhaps it stems from being in the act of applying hypotheses and knowledgeable guesswork to anticipate what the answer might be, even when I am quite uncertain of whether it will be correct.  Even as a child, I did this whenever I watched game shows on television and tried to figure out the answers before they had become apparent.  To this day, I do that with the best TV Shows, novels, conversations, etc.  It keeps my active mind vibrating and pulsating and provides a certain life force that I wouldn’t give up for the world.

EF – Interpersonal Intelligence

This Intelligence is where I truly find my heart.  It is in the sense of caring for others, being compassionate for the people around me, for simply being a warm, friendly, individual.  I tend to thrive in environments that exhibit the type of harmony, warmth, and camaraderie that make a person (like myself) feel at home.  It is also reflective in the manner that I would like to impact others around me…to make a truly positive and profound impression on another person’s life.  
To move and inspire someone and to help that person see how truly magnificent he/she is.  To help a person during trying times and also to celebrate that person’s major life victories.  That sense of connecting with others in a way that unifies us and that adds a sense of togetherness and harmony is an Intelligence within myself that I deeply adore.

EP – Explorer Temperament

One thing about me is that I tend to respond pretty quickly to outer, environmental stimuli.  In changing situations, I easily notice the change and try to ready myself for what needs to happen.  Likewise, I will adapt to the situation as I become aware of it. The funny thing about this is it happens quite instinctively and effortlessly.  Also, this Intelligence is about maintaining a certain rhythm/’drumbeat’ and flow to the day’s events.  Perhaps this ‘flow-of-go’ represents a certain pacing by which I would like my day to go.  While I absolutely don’t want it to be at breakneck speed and with an overkill of stimuli to overwhelm me, I certainly do want some rhythm in my life, where I feel as if new explorations and progress make everything worthwhile.

NF – The Idealist

When I reside in the NF Intelligence, my mind, heart, and soul blend together to allow endless possibilities, impressions, values, ideals, and relationships to emerge with complete openness and freedom.  To wander beyond the limits of the rational mind and of the concreteness of day-to-day reality to a place that cannot be bound by time nor space and also to a place that is as emotionally colorful and impactful as the brightest rainbow.  I simply view the sky as the limit here, and I truly wish that I can remain in this beautiful place forever.

NP – Creative Intelligence

Three words sum this Intelligence up: Anything Can Happen!  The possibilities that emerge here feel quite boundless and in great multiplicity.  Even though perhaps I may not view all the possibilities simultaneously, in one shot (even though I may wish for this), I know that the longer that I stay in this space, the more possibilities will emerge on the fly.  The profound thing about this is not just that they are simply possibilities, but that they actually find a way to connect and synthesize with each other, in order to form a larger unified field of reality.  To form this spider web of relationships where everything is relative to each other and where they are actually intertwined by simply being members of this web is truly mind-blowing to me and reflects a profoundly incredible interconnectivity among all things.  

FP – Cultural Intelligence

When I am tapped into this Intelligence, I tap into the uniqueness of each individual around me and of the preciousness that comes from each individual’s values, perspectives, impressions, opinions, and vision.  In other words, everything becomes both deeply ‘personal’ and ‘unique’ here.  Individuals deeply matter, and when I am in FP mode, I will aim to listen to these individuals in terms of what truly motivates them and inspires them.  The wonderful thing about this is that no two people are alike, and so it is important for me to understand how each individual is absolutely integral towards making distinct and invaluable contributions to the larger mosaic of society.  This Intelligence allows me to tap into this endless diversity of humankind.
 
When you combine these six facets together, they do a pretty impeccable job of delineating what flow in my life essentially looks like.  I have never observed flow (in any personality type) described and depicted so well within the traditional Jungian/Myers-Briggs framework, in a manner where the whole is absolutely greater than the sum of its parts.
In the next edition, I will describe a vastly different state of consciousness for me, one that represents a place of heightened stress and anxiety in tandem with decreased energy and motivation.  This state is known as “The Rival” subtype.  Stay tuned…..