What are some good concentration practices?

[actualizing25]

Hey guys, what good and effective concentration methods, which will really improve your concentration skills, do you guys know? My concentration practice is just focusing on objects for a period of time. Can I use a neurofeedback machine? Are there any games, one can play, that improve your concentration?

My second question would be, how many hours at a time do I need to concentrate to reach enlightenment?

 

thanks for your answers

[peanutspathtotruth]

19 hours ago, actualizing25 said:

My second question would be, how many hours at a time do I need to concentrate to reach enlightenment?

Exactly 1 to 2 hours a day - enlightenment will come when within 33 days in a row you don't deviate once from your object of focus.

Was your question serious? If yes: forget the notion that any amount of whatever practice will get you enlightened. For your own good. Nevertheless, you'll have to figure that out for yourself anyway

I personally found concentration on an object of experience (or the WHOLE experiential field at once) is the most effective practice there is. It's hard. Don't hope for any tool to help you here. The thing is, once you built a good amount of concentration, the effort starts falling away.

But really, concentration is only one capacity out of many you need to develop to understand your experience. But it is a very important one to even start.

Edited May 6, 2020 by peanutspathtotruth

[Consilience]

The book The Mind Illuminated teaches an extremely robust meditation method centered around developing concentration. As you move through the stages outlined in the book, not only will you make massive concentration gains, but your overall mindfulness will increase as well. Ive personally gotten to the point where I can create states similar to that of a mushroom microdose while sober...  pretty crazy stuff. Im not perfect, some days Im more mindful than others, I have ego backlashes, etc,. But the overall direction is profound. 

There’s a free pdf of the book online. Id read the introduction and see if it’s what you're looking for. 

Feel like a broken record on this topic, but concentration is the number one skill truth seekers lack. Unless you have a profoundly stable focus, the likelihood of embodying insights and awakening are improbable. Truth resides in this moment. This moment requires you to break out of the illusion of time. Breaking out of time means detaching yourself from thoughts as these exist as a function of time. Detaching yourself from thoughts requires the massive mindfulness/awareness/concentration. We can create and stabilize this mindfulness/awareness/concentration through effective techniques. Ta-da! 

Insight alone aint enough. Embodiment is the real game.

[Sirius Orion]

very good exercises of both concentration (inspired by his experience as a music composer) and meditation  in the books of Salim Michael 

[Villager Albert]

Limiting distractions and decision fatigue will improve concentration.

[Aaron p]

I like concentration on the crown chakra, it's chakra activation and concentration rolled into one

[Javfly33]

This is a very powerful concentration technique:

1. Sit with your legs crossed.

2. Extend your arms in front of you and make with your fingers the figure of a gun

3. Now during the whole exercise, you maintain this posture while YOU FOCUS your sight totally in the space between the sides of the fingers that are making that "gun" form like appearance.

4. The exercise is:  inhale 5 seconds, exhale 5 seconds, and then hold withouth exhalation for 15 seconds.

4. Repeat that for a minimum of 3 minutes to maximum of 21 minutes.

THIS TECHNIQUE IS AMAZING.

Edited May 8, 2020 by Javfly33

[Astra]

One love meditation I do is focus on whatever you are sensing and mentally repeat “feel free to be as you are”. I do it as if I am speaking to form/existence it helps with mental concentration + love.

[Wisebaxter]

@actualizing25 You can concentrate on the Third eye to unlock it. Keep your eyes lifted up towards it and concentrate on the spot between your eyebrows. Eventually you should see a white light. I got this from a Kriya Yoga book on Leo's booklist. There are some breathing exercises in there that you can do to quieten the mind a bit first 

[Wisebaxter]

On 08/05/2020 at 9:50 AM, Villager Albert said:

Limiting distractions and decision fatigue will improve concentration.

@Villager Albert Any good tips on limiting decision fatigue? 

[Villager Albert]

@Wisebaxter YES! I'm big on this

• Same type of shirt every day
• Same socks every day
• Morning routine
• Evening routine
• Same food every day
• Eating at the same time every day (I do OMAD at 8am, helps a lot)
• Same weekly exercise routine (same exercise on Mondays etc.)
• Decluttering your house (you might not realize this but when you see anything, it can start occupying your mind)
• Doing things at the same place every day (work, eating, ..)
• Only drinking from one cup
• Only reading emails in the evening
• I'm sure you'll come up with more

[Wisebaxter]

@Villager Albert Many thanks for this list. Seems like creating routines and rituals is major. 

[Villager Albert]

@Wisebaxter Yes.

[The observer]

There was a great thread here:

But it does not work anymore. Here's its individual link: Secrets Of Concentration - Part 1

I wonder if @Leo Gura can do something about it to make it work. It was a really juicy thread.