Re: Concentration and the Step I Work

["Alan Cook" <fish_studios@...>]

Dear MJ,

>> The student can find something that he can concentrate intently 
on. If all else fails, watch your favorite movie. Try to keep in 
mind that you are wanting to observe your surroundings. Try and 
stay aware of them. At some point, you will lose your surroundings 
and become abosrbed in what you are doing. Eventually you 
will "snap out" of this state of intense focus, or the movie (or 
activity) will end. Now think back to how focused you were on what 
you were doing. That is what you are trying to achieve. Nothing 
else mattered but that one thing. You need be able to achieve this 
with any thought and activity that you choose. <<

>> I wonder about that. Bardon writes "[a]bove all, one ought to 
accustom oneself to achieve whatever one does with *full 
consciousness*, whether in professional work or in private, 
regardless whether the point is a big one or a trifle." And during 
the thought observation instructions, he writes "The main point is 
*not to forget yourself*, not to lose the train of thoughts, but to 
pursue it attentively." (Emphasis mine). <<

>> It sounds like from your description, concentration sounds like 
complete absorption into the subject observed; i.e. identification. 
I'm not sure that's the state aimed for because then there is no 
control. The music plays you, as some musicians say rather than the 
other way around. <<

I believe it's a misunderstanding of what I wrote. The excerpt that 
you quoted of mine is about the one-pointedness of mind exercise not 
the one-pointedness of life. Visualization in Step II is a one-
pointedness exercise. In that exercise everything else 
must "disappear" except what you are visualizing. The quote you 
have of Bardon's is about the one-pointedness of life. My example 
was to show that you are not bothered or concerned about anything 
else around you. It was to give an example of the *level* of 
concentration, not the actual concentration itself. It was to show 
that you must have *deep* focus and concentration on what you are 
doing. Take for instance driving. While driving is not really a 
one-pointedness activity, the focus aspect is there. You are 
concerned only about driving. The fact that the house on your right 
is the nastiest pea-soup color on the planet should not be a 
distraction, and really you should not pay any attention to it save 
that there is a house there. Nothing can distract you from your 
task of driving.

In the observance exercise as well one is to have good focus. In 
that exercise you learn not to be distracted by things around you. 
For instance: a dog barking outside. You should be focused on what 
you are doing to the point that you don't notice the dog, or if you 
do it does not become a distraction and cause you to lose focus.

My little treatise was not meant as an interpretation of Bardon's 
exercises or anything of the like. They are just some thoughts 
mixed with my own experiences on ways to overcome difficulties that 
may arise during the Step I mental exercises. I have learned that 
when we don't know what to expect we sometimes hold in our minds 
what we think it would be. These ideas are ways to show one, who is 
having difficulties, what he/she is trying to achieve. With the 
goal firmly in mind, they can directly pursue the exercises.

I've found it most difficult to explain to someone, even myself, 
what the Vacancy state feels like when it's achieved. It's hard to 
do so because it is above thought by definition ;) So finding an 
example, or another way to allow someone to have a glimpse of the 
state helps them to work toward the goal.

All Will Go Well,
--Alan