What is attention?

[Thanks]

In my introspection and self-incquary work, I have continuously noticed the crucial role of attention. I really want to understand what attention is and how it works on a profound level. If I focus on negativity all my life may become negative, if I focus on truth suddenly my life can become transformed. Whatever I focus on, I give it, so to speak energy. If I focus on "Iness" or on beingness then profound realizations can happen. I've tried to focus attention on attention itself, but I haven't cracked the code yet. I have the intuition that it can be unfolded like a sock, but it hasn't happened yet. Usually, I don't like other people to give me answers because I believe it is my responsibility to find out the truth. However, I have found attention a very slippery beast.

Therefore, my question is: What is attention and how it works?

[A Fellow Lighter]

Great question.

In my experience, attention is mind, at least, the active aspect of the mind. 

Focus = Mental Attention

[Salvijus]

Attention is an exertion of energy to a certain place. If u observe attention and where u excert your energy. U'll gain the ability to contain that energy inside and not leak it unconsciously. When u become so concious that u can observe attention fully, u will hold all the energy inside pointing inward instead of outwards. That's where transmutation of desire energy into presence energy happen. An implosion of energy start to take place converting ego drives into nothingness/selfishness into noself. That's what turning inward means. Observing attention is the ultimate practice. And it's actually possible to observe it as an observable phenomena. U should try it

Edited July 16, 2022 by Salvijus

[Salvijus]

Samadhi is basicly not leaking any energy out. Desire is the source of leaking energy outwards. What u desire there u exert energy to or attention to. Exerting energy to and attention to is synonymous. If u don't exert any energy u're in nonduality. Or in other words, try not to give your attention to anything at all. It will take u to the same place of nondual Self. (Can also make u realize what attention is.)

Edited July 16, 2022 by Salvijus

[Thanks]

@Salvijus Thank you that was genuinly helpful. 

[_Archangel_]

@ThanksFrom Culadasa's book, The mind Illuminated:

Attention: The cognitive ability to select and analyze specific information and ignore other information arising from a vast field of internal and external stimuli. Attention is one of two forms of conscious awareness. Peripheral awareness is the second: we pay attention to some things, while simultaneously being aware of, but not attending to, others. Attention isolates some small part of the field of conscious awareness from the rest so that it can be identified, interpreted, labeled, categorized, and its significance evaluated. The function of attention is discernment, analysis, and discrimination.

I suggest you to read the whole book, expecially its explenation of the mind-system. It's a practice manual, but there's planty of theory aswell.

Edited July 17, 2022 by _Archangel_

[Thanks]

Now, I am asking myself if it's possible to take distance from attention itself. To observe and be aware of attention you must place your attention into it. This may be a strange loop. The trap that I am falling into is using the tool to understand the tool itself. As attention is so fundamental it could be a feature and not a bug. However, to include and transcend attention is my vision. It seems that somehow, it is a door for non duality as to be between attention and non attention may produce non locality. Something exists, or better said something is experienced as much as we place our attention into it, even the "I" if we are sleeping does not seem to exist. The dissolution of attention while being conscious may produce a no-center realization. In the consciousness field, we are focusing with our attention into some gold condensed form. If the whole play of attention or self-referencing of this field ceased, the experience of the whole field would be total and complete.

[Salvijus]

@Thanks u'd make more progress if u tried to observe and go beyond intention instead of attention. Intention and attention always go together. What u intend to do, there attention follows and exertion (leaking out) of energy follows. Instead observe the intention, that will lead to a place of no intention, a state that can feel like "singularity". And it's less confusing then trying to observe attention.

 

Edited July 17, 2022 by Salvijus

[Salvijus]

Intention to observe intention is itself an intention. Observe that intention. It can seem paradoxical, but there's the biggest breakthrough behind this.  and it's possible.

Edited July 17, 2022 by Salvijus