In psychology, a fugue state (also known as a 'psychogenic fugue' or 'dissociative fugue') is a state of mind where a person experiences a dissociative break in identity and attempts to run away from some perceived threat, usually something abstract such as the person's identity. People who enter into a fugue state may disappear, running away to a completely different geographical region and assuming another identity. A bewildered facial expression is a common symptom of the condition that can involve both physical and psychological escape from a stressful environment. Psychology (ancient Greek: psyche = soul and logos = word) is the study of behaviour, mind and thought. ... Dissociation is a psychological state or condition in which certain thoughts, emotions, sensations, or memories are separated from the rest of the psyche. ... In philosophy, it is important to distinguish between two senses of identity, qualitative identity and numerical identity. ... A facial expression results from one or more motions or positions of the muscles of the face. ... Stress has different meanings in different fields: Stress in physics, see also pressure. ...

A fugue state is often triggered by stress. The condition often follows interpersonal events in which a person is exposed to rage, threats to their self-esteem and challenges to habitual patterns of impulse control. Rage can mean several things: It is an extreme, energized usually explosive state of anger, typically coinciding with an adrenaline rush. ...

Non-psychologists more commonly use the term "fugue state" to refer to the state of mind attained by a gifted musician 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 A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ... An athlete is a person possessing above average physical skills (strength, agility, and endurance) and thus seen suitable for physical activities, in particular, contests. ...

• “the mental state called flow,” often seen in the context of programming, and
• “being in the zone.”

Computer programming (often simply programming) is the craft of implementing one or more interrelated abstract algorithms using a particular programming language to produce a concrete computer program. ...

Fugue states in the media

David Lynch's 1997 film "Lost Highway" is about a man (Fred Madison, played by Bill Pullman) undergoing a fugue experience. The same director's 2001 film "Mulholland Drive" also deals with a character in a psychogenic fugue. David Lynch in the late 1980s David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946 in Missoula, Montana) is an American filmmaker. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lost Highway is a 1997 film directed by David Lynch. ... Bill Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American actor. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mulholland Drive is a motion picture, released in 2001 and directed by David Lynch. ...

See also the recent article about the mysterious Piano Man. The Piano Man The Piano Man is an unidentified man who seems to suffer from mental illness and can only express himself through playing the piano. ...