From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
A fugue state describes a state of mind where a person experiences a break in identity and attempts to run away from some perceived threat, usually something abstract such as the person's identity. It is often triggered by stress.
People who enter into a fugue state may disappear, running away to a completely different geographical region and assuming another identity.
Non-psychologists more commonly use the term "fugue state" to refer to the state of mind attained by a gifted pianist or athlete where the person attains a high degree of focus and attention to their art or actions. This is also a dissociation from one's surroundings, to concentrate on the work at hand. Other names for the same basic concept include
- “the mental state called flow,” often seen in the context of programming, and
- “being in the zone.”
