Focus = Distraction.

[assx95]

Whenever you focus on something, you're distracting yourself from something else. It's wonderful how these opposites come together. I've reached a stage where I could willfully create my own meaning, or just disperse myself into infinite distractions. I have no reason to do either. 

I realize I am only stacking a pile of dominoes. That no reason I think of, to do something is grounded in something absolute. To think of the very nature of my existence, It's like I am part of a giant machinery, only constrained by what I cannot do. That I am the part, and the whole.

Self-awareness creates a ripple which extends to infinity. To think of the self as the self is a distraction I was born with. I don't know what I want, or who I am, or what if anything, is my task!

[Ero]

The way I experienced it was "focus=letting go". The two sides of the coin of Love. 

[assx95]

7 hours ago, Ero said:

The way I experienced it was "focus=letting go". The two sides of the coin of Love. 

For some reason, I don't understand. 

[Forestluv]

@assx95 Attention, awareness and beingness are curiosities of mine. One of the things I observe and contemplate. 

As I type these words, thoughts and images are appearing. If I focus on these thoughts and images to create a clear expression to everyone on the forum, I am not paying attention to the background noise of the heater in my room. Or I may, to some extent have partial attention. I may be paying some attention to the background noise of the heater and some attention to what I write here. 

I really like this imagery in the context of relative perspective. Right now, what is "distracting" to me? It depends on the perspective. From the perspective of engaging with what I am typing, the background heating noise is distracting. As my mind tries to connect dots and create a holistic image that can be communicated, that damn heater is distracting me. It keeps interrupting the flow of thought. . . It is like a person learning to drive a standard - the car keeps lunging forward, then stops. The car is not flowing forward. . . Yet from the perspective of engaging with the sound of the heater, these thoughts I am typing is the distraction. If I was fully engaged with the sound of the heater, I would notice a whole new world of details. As I listen now, the heater has a very smooth, consistent sound. Yet now that I closely listen, it also has a subtle pulsating to it. Yet I really have to pay attention - writing these thoughts about attention are distracting me from immersing myself into the sound of the heater. . . . A thought/imagine is painted on a blank canvas of nothing - which is the same thing as everything not that image. For example, think of an elephant. Thinking of an elephant is the same as not thinking of everything that is not an elephant. Everything = Infinity - an elephant. The background blank canvas is everything not elephant. This allows contrast for the elephant to appear. This is a major realization and is just one step away from another realization. Close your eyes and imagine an elephant. There is Nothing, but that elephant. This is a hyper-focused state of consciousness. If our intention is to focus on an elephant, all appearances not elephant are distractions. If our intention is to focus on something else, like solving a math problem, an appearance of an elephant is a distraction. If our intention is to go into an empty mind space during meditation, an appearance of an elephant is distracting. . . The example of an elephant distraction is a bit silly since it doesn't impact our personal welfare and survival. When we have an intention to focus on something, appearances of other things ("distractions") are more likely related to personal welfare and survival. 

As well, I've been contemplating meta awareness. Can the mind focus on something and be aware of that focusing? Can the mind focus on something and be aware of other things? What is the mind-body's relationship with appearances in the environment and mind? Notice how the mind likes to create "internal / here" and "external / out there". As I type this message, a teacher across the hall ("out there") is giving a lecture. His voice is as loud as the background heater. My mind-body finds his voice bothersome, yet is not bothered by the heater. My mind-body can "tune out" the heater from my attention, yet cannot tune out his voice. There are thoughts appearing like "I wonder what subject he is talking about?", and "He speaks way too loudly and is manner of speaking is annoying". There is now competition in my mind for focus. My desire is to focus on writing this post, yet how can I do so with all these appearances of "distracting" thoughts? Should I try and suppress attention to the distraction and not pay attention to it? Or can I change my relationship with the stimuli. Can I expand my field of awareness to include the heater, voice noises and the images related to the post? That is very hard to do for a mind, yet I have found it's possible. 

I've had experience in which awareness expands to Everything and there is no separate thing. I've also had experience in which awareness became hyper-focused. For example, hyper-concentrating on a candle for a 1hr meditation. If this awareness becomes hyper-contracted into the candle, there comes a point in which the candle now longer exists. If my mind is hyper-concentrated on the candle such that the only thing in existence is that candle, then there is no longer anything to contrast the candle to. It is a "candle" relative to what? In this hyper-focus state, there is Nothing but the candle, so the "candle" disappears. There is Nothing "not candle" to contrast it to. Ime, this is also an approach to have a direct experience with Nothing/Everything/Infinity. 

[mandyjw]

You are by nature, entirely free to do what you love/love what you do. Love mirrors itself back so perfectly, it needs no mirror. Or / 

Edited January 23, 2020 by mandyjw

[assx95]

@Serotoninluv I notice this tendency of mine to focus outwards, and creating addictions and distractions from turning inwards. I realize I am the devil. I deceive myself. I rebel in the name of freedom, and end up trapping myself with bonds and attachments, I offer myself endless pleasures, only to give myself endless misery. I forged my own identity. And it was by design. I resist death, by design. I was designed, fated, to be the devil. I survived this far. 

Why would God trick himself and suffer for it? 

 

[Shadowraix]

3 hours ago, assx95 said:

@Serotoninluv I notice this tendency of mine to focus outwards, and creating addictions and distractions from turning inwards. I realize I am the devil. I deceive myself. I rebel in the name of freedom, and end up trapping myself with bonds and attachments, I offer myself endless pleasures, only to give myself endless misery. I forged my own identity. And it was by design. I resist death, by design. I was designed, fated, to be the devil. I survived this far. 

Why would God trick himself and suffer for it? 

 

To explore and love all that it is. God is not easily understood from a human paradigm because we have an agenda of biases to suit our survival. If you did not care to suffer you wouldn't be wondering why God did this to himself. It seems people question the nature of suffering in creation much more than they do the rest of existence. It might be we seek some higher answer to try and justify our suffering, but this only further plants roots in suffering. 

 

[Forestluv]

13 hours ago, assx95 said:

@Serotoninluv I notice this tendency of mine to focus outwards, and creating addictions and distractions from turning inwards. I realize I am the devil. I deceive myself. I rebel in the name of freedom, and end up trapping myself with bonds and attachments, I offer myself endless pleasures, only to give myself endless misery. I forged my own identity. And it was by design. I resist death, by design. I was designed, fated, to be the devil. I survived this far. 

Why would God trick himself and suffer for it? 

 

You seem deeply immersed into this thought story. You could work your way out of it if you want. 

[Nahm]

On 1/24/2020 at 6:49 AM, assx95 said:

Why would God trick himself and suffer for it? 

God doesn’t, and God isn’t. 

[Ethan1]

@Serotoninluv

@assx95

 

When I think of focus vs distraction, I think of energy flowing to something. 

"Where ever energy goes, energy flows. Where ever energy flows, energy grows."

As if like we plant a seed with intention. The focus of attention is like the water or sunlight for the seeds. Take away the focus it stops growing.

These seeds of thought build neural pathways or a highway system to a certain thought. Repitively driving the same thought then this highway gets faster and more efficient. 

Even when driving. When you first learn to drive, your brain is hyper focused on each aspect. It would be over stimulating to focus on each aspect individually all the time. Too much information for the brain. With time it becomes a habitual skill and the mind is doing multiple things without even thinking. Selective focus helps with sorting out large amounts of information. I believe this is the process of habitation.

In classical conditioning they did a study where they would probe a sea anemone and get a response. This reponce was important for the sea anemone to eat. They would count the number of probes. Repetitive brushes lead to a weaker response with time. After like 30 touches the sea anemone would nearly stop responding to this stimuli. The sea anemone was nearly handicapped from eating. Same with living near an airport. The sounds become habituated. There's another word which is the opposite of rehabituation which they did the reverse pattern and retrain the brain. 

This type of focus or classical conditioning can be seen in the military with training soldiers too. The drill sergeants will call the group to a "position of attention". To command a group of people to be obedient and follow orders. I'd argue the reason the military is sharp and disciplined is because of the focus on attention training and laser focus. The body will be moving while the mind is asleep. Talk about getting things done. You could be making your bed at 4am not even being fully conscious of this. Just muscle memory. 

I question if this is how beliefs are programmed. I'm deeply curious about the nature of creating a belief. 

The book "thinking fast and slow" kind of touches on this process of attention/focus. 

Distraction on the other hand is more of a blockage. If a person is consistently being distracted then it's hard to build this momentum. Most professional sports require like a tunnel vision focus. If the player listens to the stimuli from the crowd or other opponents, then this can be detrimental for the team. 

Distractions can be anything. Some times it's good to be distracted if the brain is becoming addicted to something. Addiction just seems to be where the brain is more focused on one thing. Stimulus response from a reward cycle for pleasure. Breaking a cycle or distractions aren't always bad.

Seems like society is both really distracted from phone/social media addiction. You could be on a bus and everyones on their phone mindlessly. Distracted from surroundings and tunnel vision on the phone. Probably the reason for so many accidents while driving too. Not paying attention. 

 

What we focus on the most grows flowers or what we neglect to focus on can grow weeds. Can be the opposite way too. 

 

Hope this adds to the thoughts on attention, awareness, and focus. 

[Moreira]

You're wrong dude, dont focus and get lost in mental masturbations, focus and all mental distractions disapear.