fox & dog
May 22, 2010 10:31 AM Subscribe
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
How can i train myself to be more aware of the sensory stimuli (especially visual) and to refrain from making continuous abstractions which greatly diminishes the vaule of raw information?
Any book, article, web link or sharing of personal experience is appreciated.
How can i train myself to be more aware of the sensory stimuli (especially visual) and to refrain from making continuous abstractions which greatly diminishes the vaule of raw information?
Any book, article, web link or sharing of personal experience is appreciated.
Best answer: An interesting way to do this, along the lines of the writing exercises that fantasticninety suggested, might be to start writing (traditional) Haiku poems. If done right, they focus almost solely on sensory stimuli, with as little abstraction as possible.
posted by dantekgeek at 11:20 AM on May 22, 2010
posted by dantekgeek at 11:20 AM on May 22, 2010
Best answer: You can't cease thinking, but you can allow thoughts to rise and fall.
You mention value, which can be a hang-up. So watch out for that. Setting out for value has an expectation, which is naturally going to cause assessment and further expectation and probably frustration, etc. Really, what is this value in raw information that you seek?
Buddhists do this to go beyond suffering, which requires some work on egolessness rather than value-extraction. The enlightened mind is likened to a wish-fulfilling jewel, so there is certainly value implied, but I assert that this does not correspond to our day to day sense of value.
Meditation techniques abound. William Burroughs recommended concentrating on observing particular colors to avoid ego-driven interpretation. This is novel, though I haven't done much of it. I find the Dzogchen works to be the most rigorous explanations on the situation. Many find them difficult or have trouble by thinking there is no work to do with them.
posted by mblandi at 11:33 AM on May 22, 2010
You mention value, which can be a hang-up. So watch out for that. Setting out for value has an expectation, which is naturally going to cause assessment and further expectation and probably frustration, etc. Really, what is this value in raw information that you seek?
Buddhists do this to go beyond suffering, which requires some work on egolessness rather than value-extraction. The enlightened mind is likened to a wish-fulfilling jewel, so there is certainly value implied, but I assert that this does not correspond to our day to day sense of value.
Meditation techniques abound. William Burroughs recommended concentrating on observing particular colors to avoid ego-driven interpretation. This is novel, though I haven't done much of it. I find the Dzogchen works to be the most rigorous explanations on the situation. Many find them difficult or have trouble by thinking there is no work to do with them.
posted by mblandi at 11:33 AM on May 22, 2010
Best answer: Take up a hobby that calls for careful observation and attention to the physical environment not for aesthetic/philosophical reasons, but to avoid bodily injury. Of the many possibilities, wood working comes to mind: If you're pondering the essence of "woodness" instead of that piece on the table saw in front of you....
posted by 5Q7 at 12:01 PM on May 22, 2010
posted by 5Q7 at 12:01 PM on May 22, 2010
Response by poster: @mblandi i did not use the word "value" in its most common senses (even though i mistyped it) but rather as a factor of internalising that is freely available and has the potential of being instrumental in being more aware of the moment or the situation.
posted by raphael19 at 12:45 PM on May 22, 2010
posted by raphael19 at 12:45 PM on May 22, 2010
Best answer: Take a life drawing class, or any representational drawing class.
posted by Wordwoman at 1:03 PM on May 22, 2010
posted by Wordwoman at 1:03 PM on May 22, 2010
Best answer: Here's an article from today's Guardian on unlearning multitasking (and learning how to focus), from personal experience I would recommend mindfulness meditation - I found this book particularly helpful.
posted by coffee_monster at 2:01 PM on May 22, 2010
posted by coffee_monster at 2:01 PM on May 22, 2010
Best answer: okay, good, it's just a well-documented problem: meditating for bliss or power or other self-centered gain, which gets you more in the way. Insight can be really valuable though, so I would never intend to discount such benefits of honing awareness.
posted by mblandi at 2:01 PM on May 22, 2010
posted by mblandi at 2:01 PM on May 22, 2010
Best answer: Take up photography, carry a camera everywhere.
posted by bradbane at 4:05 PM on May 22, 2010
posted by bradbane at 4:05 PM on May 22, 2010
Best answer: I find drawing from life (or photos, depending on what I am in the mood draw) is a lesson in focusing on what you actually see and not what you think you see.
Most people tend to think that they know (logically) how things look but the reality is different - like you think the glasses are in front of the face but you can usually see some part of what is behind the person through the lens of their glasses.
The exercises in Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is a good place to start.
By the way, I don't meditate but I find the intense focus required to draw forces out all other thoughts and leaves me feeling relaxed but alert when I finish.
posted by metahawk at 6:24 PM on May 22, 2010
Most people tend to think that they know (logically) how things look but the reality is different - like you think the glasses are in front of the face but you can usually see some part of what is behind the person through the lens of their glasses.
The exercises in Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is a good place to start.
By the way, I don't meditate but I find the intense focus required to draw forces out all other thoughts and leaves me feeling relaxed but alert when I finish.
posted by metahawk at 6:24 PM on May 22, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Hope that makes sense.
posted by fantasticninety at 10:37 AM on May 22, 2010 [1 favorite]