Vinaire's Blog

All “truths” are inconsistencies at some level. If the attention goes to them then they need to be examined more closely. It seems that the purpose of free attention is to spot and dissolve inconsistencies to allow the sensory input to flow rapidly toward the understanding of self.

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THEORY

From Wikipedia: “Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. Attention has also been referred to as the allocation of processing resources.”

The awareness of the environment is contained most directly in the layer of perception in the mind. Sensory input is then processed further into subsequent layers. See Thinking & Thought.

Attention may be looked upon as the filter, which selectively brings to awareness the contents of these layers.

Attention, when left to itself, generally goes to those areas where the processing of sensory input is slowed or blocked by inconsistencies, and it is not flowing down to subsequent layers. This happens when inconsistencies are not being recognized as inconsistencies but are taken for granted.

An inconsistency is something that is not consistent with its surroundings. It is arbitrary to some degree. Yet it is accepted because it seems to explain some confusion.

An inconsistency, thus, keeps some confusion at bay. It seems to serve this function at local level, even when it is not consistent broadly. Examples of this would be unreal beliefs that people carry around, and strange rituals that they engage in.

Though an inconsistency is usually taken for granted, and thus it escapes general notice, the area of inconsistency still subtly draws the attention towards itself. Something in that area doesn’t seem to make sense but one cannot put one’s finger on it. The daily life may direct attention according to one’s intentions, but, now and then, one may find the attention to be drawn to certain areas.

Free attention is a powerful indicator of where one should be looking more closely to dissolve inconsistencies that are blocking the flow of sensory input.

The process of free association is very helpful when combined with looking. In free association one looks at the mind without interfering with it. Attention may flip from place to place; but as one keeps looking non-judgmentally without resistance, a pattern may emerge. As one keeps looking, the pattern may reveal some inconsistency. Usually there is disbelief and resistance, for the inconsistency appears to be restraining some confusion. But as one continues to look, the confusion starts to dissolve and so does the inconsistency, giving one a sense of relief.

It is confusion due to suppressed perceptions and feelings that keeps an inconsistency in place.

As an inconsistency dissolves, the attention seems to shift naturally to the next area where another inconsistency may reside. It is as if the mind is wound up and it wants to unwind itself. Free association, with looking, seems to let the mind do all the work in sorting out the morass of ideas that are entangled with each other.

Let the mind bring up what needs to be sorted out first, and then the next thing, and the next thing.

It is the non-judgmental nature of looking, without resistance, which permits the inconsistency to dissolve upon closer look. The following steps may be helpful in spotting and dissolving inconsistencies in real life.

1. Look at the general area where one’s attention gets drawn naturally.
2. Look non-judgmentally until you become aware of the actual purpose there.
3. Continue looking until you become aware of how that area should actually be.
4. Notice the area of inconsistency that is now visible more narrowly.

Repetition of these steps will bring you closer and closer to the actual inconsistency, until there is nothing hidden or suppressed. Then the inconsistency simply falls apart letting the sensory input flow in toto. This helps bring complete understanding at the ultimate level of self.

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APPLICATION

In the absence of a partner these exercises may be done by oneself. The guide may help the student as follows.

(A) Go over the theory section with the student.

1. Answer any questions as best as you can.
2. Discuss the theory materials until no questions remain.
3. Make sure the student understand the main points highlighted in bold in theory section.

(B) Have the student do the exercises in sequence.

1. Guide the student through the exercises.
2. Maintain an open and friendly communication about student’s experience on the exercise.

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EXERCISE

THE PURPOSE OF THESE EXERCISES IS TO PRACTICE FREE ASSOCIATION WITH LOOKING, IN SPOTTING INCONSISTENCIES AND CONFUSIONS.

Exercise 1     

Move around in your living space, and let your attention roam freely. Apply the four steps listed under theory until nothing is hidden or suppressed in that area. Repeat the four steps as necessary.

Exercise 2

Go for a walk in the neighborhood, and let your attention roam freely. Apply the four steps listed under theory until nothing is hidden or suppressed in that area. Repeat the four steps as necessary.

Exercise 3

Go for a walk in a park. Look at things as far as your eye can see, and let your attention roam freely. Apply the four steps listed under theory until nothing is hidden or suppressed in that area. Repeat the four steps as necessary.

Exercise 4

Go to a coffee shop. Observe the surroundings, and let your attention roam freely. Apply the four steps listed under theory until nothing is hidden or suppressed in that area. Repeat the four steps as necessary.

Exercise 5

Go to crowded places like a market, bus station, or airport. Quietly observe the people and surroundings, and let your attention roam freely. Apply the four steps listed under theory until nothing is hidden or suppressed in that area. Repeat the four steps as necessary.

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Glossary

Attention

1. (Wikipedia) Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. Attention has also been referred to as the allocation of processing resources.
2. Attention, when left to itself, generally goes to those areas where the processing of sensory input is slowed or blocked by inconsistencies.
3. (Scientology) Attention is aberrated by becoming unfixed and sweeping at random or becoming too fixed without sweeping.

Inconsistency
An inconsistency is something that is not consistent with its surroundings. It is arbitrary to some degree. Yet it is accepted because it seems to explain some confusion. Examples of this would be unreal beliefs that people carry around, and strange rituals that they engage in.

Free Association
In free association one looks at the mind without interfering with it. Attention may flip from place to place; but as one keeps looking non-judgmentally without resistance, a pattern may emerge. As one keeps looking, the pattern may reveal some inconsistency.

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EXPERIENCING is looking at the feelings, emotions, sensations and efforts arising in the mind and felt in the body. The KHTK approach is to experience such flows without resisting.

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THEORY

Feelings, emotions, sensations, efforts etc., are flows that outpour or discharge. Here are some examples of these flows:

1. Feelings: confusion, love, disgust, etc.
2. Emotions: grief, fear, anger etc.
3. Sensations: tingling, dizziness, hot and cold, etc.
4. Efforts: mental effort to do, or not do, something.

One “looks” at such flows by experiencing them. This lets them outpour and discharge. To experience a flow, simply stay with it without avoiding it, resisting it, or suppressing it back. Dive right into the very center of it and feel it without adding anything. As you stay with it, the uncomfortable intensity of the flow would lessen and eventually disappear.

The key idea is:

SIMPLY EXPERIENCE WHAT IS THERE WITHOUT AVOIDING, RESISTING OR SUPPRESSING IT BACK.

Flows can be positive, such as, love, enthusiasm and well-beingness. Flows can also be negative, such as, guilt, fear and pain. Such flows arise in response to stimuli in the environment. Usually one finds it easier to experience positive rather than negative flows. But, when such flows come up by themselves in response to stimuli in the environment, then they are safe to experience.

ON ITS OWN THE MIND WILL NEVER BRING UP SOMETHING TO EXPERIENCE THAT IS OVERWHELMING OR HARMFUL.

Experiencing is a deeper form of looking. One may encounter uncontrolled thinking in the mind. But, it starts to abate with the practice of experiencing. It is through the process of gradual experiencing that the inconsistencies and uncomfortable flows start to dissolve.

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APPLICATION

In the absence of a guide these exercises may be done by oneself. The guide may help the student as follows.

(A) Go over the theory section with the student.

1. Answer any questions as best as you can.
2. Discuss the theory materials until no questions remain.
3. Make sure the student understand the main points highlighted in bold in theory section.

(B) Have the student do the exercises in sequence.

1. Guide the student through the exercises.
2. Maintain an open and friendly communication about student’s experience on the exercise

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EXERCISES

THE PURPOSE OF THESE EXERCISES IS TO INTRODUCE EXPERIENCING AS A DEEPER FORM OF LOOKING, AND AS AN ACTIVITY THAT MAY DISSOLVE INCONSISTENCIES AND UNCOMFORTABLE FLOWS.

Exercise 1

Move around the house leisurely, and look at various objects, touching and feeling them. Experience any feelings, emotions, sensations, efforts, etc., that come up, fully without resisting.

 

Exercise 2

Go for a walk in the neighborhood. Look and notice things. Experience any feelings, emotions, sensations, efforts, etc., that come up, fully without resisting. 

 

Exercise 3

Go to a coffee shop, sit there and observe the surroundings and other people. Experience whatever feelings come up until you no longer are avoiding, resisting or suppressing anything from yourself. 

 

Exercise 4

Look at your family album or any old pictures that you may have kept.  As feelings and emotions come up, experience them fully without avoiding, resisting or suppressing them. 

 

Exercise 5

FIND SOMETHING IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AVOIDING TO LOOK AT.

Observe the feelings or emotions that appear as you start to face it. Experience the feelings and emotions without resisting or suppressing them.

 

Exercise 6

Look at each of the following affects, and experience any instances or related incidents that come up in the mind, applying the principles of looking.

Positive:

• Enjoyment/Joy – smiling, lips wide and out

• Interest/Excitement – eyebrows down, eyes tracking, eyes looking, closer listening

Neutral:

• Surprise/Startle – eyebrows up, eyes blinking

Negative:

• Anger/Rage – frowning, a clenched jaw, a red face

• Disgust – the lower lip raised and protruded, head forward and down

• Dissmell (reaction to bad smell) – upper lip raised, head pulled back

• Distress/Anguish – crying, rhythmic sobbing, arched eyebrows, mouth lowered

• Fear/Terror – a frozen stare, a pale face, coldness, sweat, erect hair

• Shame/Humiliation – eyes lowered, the head down and averted, blushing

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Glossary

Experiencing
Experiencing is a deeper form of looking. It is looking at the feelings, emotions, sensations and efforts arising in the mind and felt in the body. These are flows that outpour or discharge.

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Most difficulties arise when perceptions, memories and visualizations get suppressed. Such items stack up in the mind waiting to be inspected. Relief comes when the mind is allowed to un-stack itself.

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THEORY

The mind seems to un-stack its suppressed content in a certain natural order. Attempts to unstack the mind in a different order is deemed dangerous by the mind, and it stops responding to them. Left to itself, mind will present only that data, which is safe to look at. Hectic digging into the mind bypasses the self-protection mechanisms, and is known to drive people into madness.

When one follows the attention and looks at an area, the mind starts to bring up perceptions, memories and visualizations “stored” in that area. As one continues to follow the natural flow of attention, the mind goes into the mode of un-stacking itself. When one anxiously starts to dig into the mind for answers and explanations then this natural process of un-stacking is interrupted.  One then starts to get into overwhelm.

ONE IS SAFE FROM HARM AS LONG AS ONE DOES NOT FORCE THE MIND, BUT ALLOWS THE MIND TO UN-STACK ITSELF IN ITS NATURAL ORDER.

A question, when asked, may not always parallel the natural un-stacking order of the mind. Therefore, when looking, one should simply inspect whatever is presented. If there is no response in the mind to a question, then one should simply drop that question and formulate another thoughtful question or follow Attention. A response would appear naturally when it is the right question.

DO NOT PURSUE A QUESTION WHEN THERE IS NO RESPONSE. THE RIGHT QUESTION WILL NATURALLY BRING UP A RESPONSE. 

Regardless of the urgency, it is better to stop foraging randomly for an explanation and patiently follow where the attention takes you. You may just keep some attention in the area of interest and go about your business. As you wait patiently without searching, thinking, digging, expecting, etc., the mental fog is likely to lift and bring to view long suppressed material followed by realizations. Sometimes it may take days for the mind to sort itself out before the realization appears.

RELIEF COMES FROM LOOKING PATIENTLY AND NOT FROM DIGGING ANXIOUSLY INTO THE MIND.

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APPLICATION

In the absence of a partner these exercises may be done by oneself. The guide may help the student as follows.

(A) Go over the theory section with the student.

1. Answer any questions as best as you can.
2. Discuss the theory materials until no questions remain.
3. Make sure the student understand the main points highlighted in bold in theory section.

(B) Have the student do the exercises in sequence.

1. Guide the student through the exercises.
2. Have the student look closely at each response that comes up.
3. Maintain an open and friendly communication about student’s experience on the exercise.
4. End the exercise when there is no response.

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EXERCISE

THIS IS THE EXERCISE FOR UNSTACKING. AN EXERCISE IS COMPLETE WHEN THE STUDENT IS SATISFIED THAT HE OR SHE HAS DONE ALL THE STEPS. 

Exercise

Question: “HOW HAVE YOU BEEN RIGHT IN YOUR LIFE?” 

1. Look at the response to this question that appears in the mind.

2. Please note that the response may not be an exact answer to this question.

3. No matter what the response is, take time to inspect and experience it.

4. Ask this question as many times as there are responses appearing in the mind. In other words, let the mind un-stack itself naturally on this subject of “rightness.”

5. When there is no response to the question consider the exercise to be complete.

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Glossary

Stacking
Origin: “haystack.” Stack is a more or less orderly pile or heap. Perceptions, memories and visualizations may get suppressed and get stacked up waiting to be inspected and released.

Unstacking
Unstacking of suppressed data occurs in a natural order when attention is put in an area. Any effort to change this order simply creates more suppression.

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