The Gate

Hi Daniel,

Take this questions with you for the weekend:

Do 'you' or something know where the attention will go next, before it goes there?
Does thought make focus move or does thought describe after the movement?

Have a nice Weekend, friend.

Of course I spent some time over the weekend “trying” to “recreate” that momentary sense of dropped effort… which is the antithesis of dropped effort. Hahaha.

I don’t know where the attention will go before it goes there… the shift is not directed, but observed.

Yes the mind can bring thoughts into attention (without any controller/manager) and those thoughts can then direct the focus to the next object of attention (another thought or absence perception).

Or a sense perception can grab the attention, in which case yes, that shift of focus precedes the subsequent thoughts.

Both appear to be possible (unbidden thoughts shifting the focus of attention, or sense perceptions shifting the focus of attention). Either way it doesn’t involve the control of a manager.

Warm Regards,
Josh

Hi Josh,

Of course I spent some time over the weekend “trying” to “recreate” that momentary sense of dropped effort… which is the antithesis of dropped effort. Hahaha.

Yes :). It's nice that you can laugh about it.

I don't know where the attention goes before it goes there… the shift is not directed, but observed.

Exactly—all of this happens fully automatically, spontaneously, and without anyone sitting at the wheel.

But again...are there actually at the very Moment two things there—an entity as an observer and an observed? Perceiving the shift IS simply the shift itself. Can you Take a Look at that?

The mind can summon thoughts into consciousness (without any control)

...is a statement about a mechanism—essentially a model—not a direct observation. What is actually there, right now, without the explanation?

and these thoughts can then direct the focus to the next object of attention (another thought or the perception of an absence).

Have you actually seen the directing itself — a thought actively moving the focus — or do you just see: a thought is there, and then the focus is elsewhere? Is the directing observed, or is it a connection you're drawing between two events?

And generally... how are you doing right now? How have you been feeling over the last few weeks? Is anything missing? Doubts? Uncertainty?

Kind Regards
Daniel

Hi Josh,

Hi Daniel,

Perceiving the shift IS simply the shift itself. Can you Take a Look at that?

Yes, I will look at that.

Have you actually seen the directing itself — a thought actively moving the focus — or do you just see: a thought is there, and then the focus is elsewhere? Is the directing observed, or is it a connection you're drawing between two events?

Yes good description! This is true, a thought doesn’t “move” the focus. The thought shining a light on the new object of focus *is* the movement of focus. The thought brings the new object into awareness. The thought IS the shift. (In the case of thought as the “sense perception” in question).

So back to your comment above, that means the perception of the shift IS the shift in the case of a thought .

Similarly if an object is in view and then a different object is in view, the perception of the shift is also the shift. (Though sight is obviously the “sense perception” in question in this case).

Interesting. I’ll look at this.

And generally... how are you doing right now? How have you been feeling over the last few weeks? Is anything missing? Doubts? Uncertainty?

I’m doing well, thanks! I hope you are as well.

I do feel a bit lighter as I’m feel less like I’m *seeking* something and more like I’m simply “observing closely what is there.” Sometimes it still feels effortful… but it’s not the same intense goal-oriented effort as meditation can feel like… trying to “make something happen.” The difference with meditation though is that it defines a period of practice very well. For this kind of looking I had to set an hourly beep on my watch to remind me to “look” for a couple of minutes. 😊

Warm Regards,
Josh