When TV newscaster Diane Sawyer was asked the secret to her success, she said, “I think the one lesson I’ve learned is there is no substitute for paying attention.”
Are you thinking, “I agree, but HOW do we improve our ability to focus and maintain attention — no matter what?”
These five FOCUS tips can help you concentrate better — whether you’re working in a busy office, studying at school, sitting in a meeting, or trying to finish a project.
F = Five More Rule
There are two kinds of people — those who have learned how to work through frustration, and those who wish they had. From now on, if you’re in the middle of a task and tempted to give up — just do FIVE MORE.
Read FIVE MORE pages. Finish FIVE MORE math problems. Work FIVE MORE minutes.
Just as athletes build physical stamina by pushing past the point of exhaustion, you can build mental stamina by pushing past the point of frustration.
Just as runners get their second wind by not giving up when their body initially protests, you can get your “second mind” by not giving up when your willpower initially protests. Continuing to concentrate when your brain is tired is the key to S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G your attention span and building mental endurance.
O = One Think At a Time
Samuel Goldwyn said, “If I look confused, it’s because I’m thinking.” Feeling scatter-brained? Overcome perpetual preoccupation with the Godfather Plan — make your mind a deal it can’t refuse. Yes, the mind takes bribes. Instead of telling it NOT to worry about another, lesser priority (which will cause your mind to think about the very thing it’s not supposed to think about!), assign it a single task with start-stop time parameters.
For example, “I will think about how to pay off that credit card debt when I get home tonight and have a chance to add up my bills. For now, for the next thirty minutes from 1-1:30 pm, I will give my complete focus to practicing this presentation so I am eloquent and articulate when pitching this proposal to our VIP clients.”
Still can’t get other concerns out of your head? Write them down on your to-do list so you’re free to forget them. Recording worrisome obligations means you don’t have to use your brain as a “reminder” bulletin board, which means you can give your undivided attention to your top priority task.
C = Conquer Procrastination
Don’t feel like concentrating? Are you putting off a task or project you’re supposed to be working on? That’s a form of procrastination. R. D. Clyde said, “It’s amazing how long it takes to complete something we’re not working on.”
Next time you’re about to postpone a responsibility ask yourself, “Do I have to do this? Do I want it done so it’s not on my mind? Will it be any easier later?” Those three questions can give you the incentive to mentally apply yourself because they bring you face to face with the fact this task isn’t going away, and delaying will only add to your guilt and make this onerous task occupy more of your mind and time.
U = Use Your Hands as Blinkers
Picture your mind as a camera and your eyes as its aperture. Most of the time, our eyes are “taking it all in” and our brain is in “wide-angle focus.” We can actually think about many things at once and operate quite efficiently this way (e.g., imagine driving down a crowded highway while talking to a friend, fiddling with the radio, keeping an eye on the cars beside you, and watching for your exit sign.)
What if you want to switch to telephoto focus? What if you have to prepare for a test and you need 100% concentration? Cup your hands around your eyes so you have “tunnel vision” and are looking solely at your text book. Placing your hands on the side of your face blocks out surroundings so they are literally “out of sight, out of mind.” Think about the importance of those words.
Want even better news? Does the name Pavlov r-r-r-ring a bell? If you cup your hands around your eyes every time you want to switch from wide-angle to telephoto focus, that physical ritual becomes a Pavlovian trigger.
Remember? Pavlov rang the bell, fed the dog, rang the bell and fed the dog, until the dog started salivating as soon as he heard the sound of the bell. Similarly, using your hands as blinkers every time you want to narrow your focus teaches your brain to switch to “one track” mind and concentrate on your command.
S = See As If For the First or Last Time
Want to know how to be “here and now” and fully present instead of mindlessly rushing here, there, and everywhere? Frederick Franck said, “When the eye wakes up to see again, it suddenly stops taking anything for granted.” Evelyn Underhill said, “For lack of attention, a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day.”
I constantly relearn this lesson. One time I was giving my sons their nightly back rub. Although I was sitting right next to them, I might as well have been in the next country because I was thinking of the early morning flight I needed to take the next day and wondering if I had packed my hand-outs, if my ticket was in my purse, etc.
Suddenly, my unfocused eyes fell upon my sons and I truly SAW Tom and Andrew as if I was looking at them for the first time. I was immediately flooded with a sense of gratitude for these two healthy, thriving boys. I felt so blessed to have been gifted with such wonderful sons. In an instant, I went from being absent-minded to being filled with a sense of awe and appreciation for their presence in my life.
Next time your mind is a million miles away, simply look around you and really SEE your surroundings. Study that exquisite flower in the vase. Get up close to the picture on the wall and marvel at the artist’s craftmanship.
Lean in and really look at a loved one you tend to take for granted. This will “Velveteen Rabbit” your world and make it come alive in your mind’s eye.
What people have said about concentration
“I used to think the human brain was the most fascinating part of the body, and then I realized, ‘What is telling me that?’” – Emo Phillips
“I’m getting so absent-minded and forgetful. Sometimes in the middle of a sentence, I . . . ” – Milton Berle
“Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen, even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind.” Leonardo da Vinci
“Tell me to what you pay attention, and I will tell you who you are.” – Jose Ortega y Gasset
I would go without shirt or shoe sooner than lose for a minute the two separate sides of my head.” – Rudyard Kipling
“It’s not that I don’t want to listen to people. I very much want to listen to people. I just can’t hear them over my talking.” – Paula Poundstone
The Right Brain vs Left Brain test
Do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?
If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.
Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.
LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical safe
RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
“big picture” oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can “get it” (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking
Can you see the pink dots circle faster and become a green dot?
How many horses can you find?
Your eyes playing tricks on you.
What do you see? A music man or woman face?
Test your perception with these wild designs.
If you’ve ever felt like you go a little cross-eyed after taking a peek at an optical illusion, then you know they can be a pretty intense phenomenon. What your eyes perceive when looking at one of these images is actually a visual illusion; you see the image as something different than what it is because the different cells and receptors in your eyes distinguish images and colors at dissimilar speeds. The eye can only receive a limited amount of visual stimuli, but as your brain constantly processes the visual information, it gives you the illusion of continuous sight. Whether it’s an optical, physiological or cognitive illusion, the design plays a trick on your eyes (and mind). Check out some of the interesting illusions below—but beware, you may not be able to absorb them all in one sitting.
FLOWING LEAVES
The brown leaf shapes against a green background make this look as if the entire group is flowing—making waves if you focus on the picture as a whole. Photo from Flickr
PULSING VORTEX
If you stare at this one long enough you’ll notice a fast and pulsing multicolored vortex. Photo from Flickr
WAVES
The blue almond-shaped objects look as if they’re all passing over three separate columns. Photo from Flickr
HYPNOSIS
Although this image is comprised of simple purple and green squares outlined in black, it looks like it is bulging out in the center. Photo from Flickr
KALEIDOSCOPES
A collection of black, blue, green and white shapes appears to be five different kaleidoscope-type figures—each swirling toward their centers. Photo from Flickr
WORMHOLE
The black and white circular lines make this illusion seem as if there are various depths in the image, creating different entryways and tunnels. Photo courtesy of Paco Calvino
BULL’S-EYE
If you stare at the center of the image, it looks as if the outer rings are rotating in alternating directions—an effect meant to mesmerize the viewer. Photo courtesy of Todd A. Carpenter
STARBURSTS
These bright purple and green star-like shapes appear to be moving, which can be a little nauseating if you stare at it for too long. Photo courtesy of Angie Armstrong
Telepathy (Greek, tele meaning “distant” and patheia meaning “to be affected by”) refers to the transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between individuals by means other than the five classical senses. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, specifically to replace the earlier expression thought-transference. A person who is able to make use of telepathy is said to be able to read the thoughts and stored information in the brain of others. Telepathy, along with psychokinesis forms the main branches of parapsychological research, and many studies seeking to detect, understand, utilize telepathy have been done within the field.
Telepathy is a common theme in modern fiction and science fiction, with many superheroes and supervillains having telepathic abilities. Such abilities include sensing the thoughts of others.
Using telepathy is not about intruding into someone’s head. Our thoughts are private and cannot be stolen by others. But, your thought patterns can be tapped into if you are transmitting signals (consciously or unconsciously) to be intuitively heard. For instance if you do a dream telelpathy programming to get someone to like you, you still have to go talk to the man or woman to set up the date. You still have to apply for the job in order to get hired. You still have to communicate with the client to get the new sale.
For telepathy to work there needs to be two participants, a receiver and a sender. Some people are better receivers, while others are better at sending messages.
Telepathy is direct transference of thought from one person (sender or agent) to another (receiver or percipient) without using the usual sensory channels of communication, hence a form of extrasensory perception (ESP). While the existence of telepathy has not yet been proved, some parapsychological research studies have produced favorable results using such techniques as card guessing with a special deck of five sets of five cards. The agent may simply think of a random order of the five card symbols while the percipient tries to think of the order on which the agent is concentrating.
In the Bible, some prophets appear to have the ability to see into the future (precognition, time travel, grid travel). This seems to be a common claim from ancient and primitive people. But the sending and receiving of messages from individual to individual by mind alone is never mentioned at all. As with all psi phenomena, there is wide disagreement and controversy within the sciences, even within parapsychology, as to the existence of telepathy.
Western scientific investigation of telepathy is generally recognized as having begun with the initial program or research of the Society for Psychical Research. The apex of their early investigations was the report published in 1886 as the two-volume work Phantasms of the Living.
It was with this work that the term “telepathy” was introduced, replacing the earlier term “thought transference”. Although much of the initial investigations consisted largely of gathering anecdotal accounts with follow-up investigations, they also conducted experiments with some of those who claimed telepathic abilities. However, their experimental protocols were not very strict by today’s standards.
Quantum Mechanics
In seeking a “scientific explanation,” some telepathy proponents have claimed there to be connections between scientific quantum theory as a basis for telepathy. Such modern concepts of telepathy have attempted to draw both legitimacy and scientific curiosity, by making both general and specific analogies between the “unaccepted unknowns” of religion and parapsychology, and the “accepted unknowns” in the quantum sciences, where the classical and understood concepts of physics (time and space) don’t generally apply. The clear example is in quantum mechanics and its inherently theoretical cousin, string theory. Both have radically changed modern concepts regarding the nature of time, space, energy, and matter, and the relationships between each.
In general the concept is that the mind (human or otherwise) is simply evolved physical scaffold for an entity of electrical and quantum impulses. This system, in turn is claimed to have been developed abilities to influencing and receiving “quantum fluctuations” from other minds. In essence, proponents claim that telepathy is not “extrasensory”, rather that the brain is the telepathic organ, its connections to other brains are not physical, but psychic, and the very definition of the psychic medium is the localized inertial frame of reference which is affected by the mind.
This new and “scientifically-grounded” concept of telepathy provides the context for further speculations. However, physicists and skeptics state that quantum mechanics does not show classical effects until objects are at sub-nanometer scales, and since the physical components of the mind are all much larger, these quantum effects are considered negligible. Proponents counter that the scientific statements carry two flawed assumptions, namely that the experience of telepathy need be a classical effect, and that the mind is sensitive to only classical effects.
Some physicists, such as Nick Herbert, have pondered whether or not quantum mechanics’ “non-locality” (or “spooky action at a distance”) principle would permit instantaneous communication such as telepathy. Experiments have been conducted (by scientists such as Gao Shen at the Institute of Quantum Physics in Beijing, China) to study whether or not quantum entanglements (connections allowing instantaneous information exchange) demonstrated at the level of electrons can also be verified between human minds. Such experiments usually include monitoring for synchronous EEG patterns between two hypothetically “entangled” minds.
Telepathic communication between humans and animals
Some people believe that it is possible for humans and animals to communicate through telepathy. In the past, this type of interspecies communication was thought to be a normal part of life, such as in Native American culture. For more information on this subject, see books by Rupert Sheldrake (Dogs who know when their owners are coming home), and professional animal communicators Penelope Smith and Marta Williams.
Delusions of telepathy – Schizophrenia can produce delusions that the sufferer is in telepathic communication with others; such delusions include thought broadcasting and thought extraction.
Other Facts
There is a long tradition of anecdotal evidence for foreseeing the future in dreams and by various devices such as observing the flight of birds or examining the entrails of sacrificial animals. Precognition has been tested with subjects required to predict the future order of cards in a deck about to be shuffled or to foretell results of dice throws, but the statistical support for it has generally been less convincing than that from experiments in telepathy and clairvoyance.
Telepathy is instinctual. Primitive species used it as a survival mechanism. It involves mind to mind contact – communication – of one mind with another by means beyond the normal or ordinary – beyond the frequencies of the five physical senses – sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell.
No all psychics are telepathic or can read minds.
Telepathic abilities are about connecting frequency. It is like turning on a radio and finding the right station. You just have to know how to ‘tune in’ and the frequency of the program. For a few people this skill comes easy – but on the norm – telepathy is never developed though many people try. Different meditation techniques and learning to focus the mind are the key. The more you practice the better you get.
Once you open the door to telepathy – it should work like a light switch. You can turn it off – tune off – or turn it on by focusing your thoughts. Rarely does one find that they are bombarded by the thoughts of others all the time. It would drive you crazy.
Human DNA is not activated in a way that makes us natural telepaths – in most cases. We are in the third dimension – the physicalrealms -to experience emotions. Telepathy would make it more complicated than it already is. Of course no one would be able to lieanymore – so perhaps humanity could live in peace – but that is not why we come into the physical. We experience here as if in a Matrix – the Holodeck – a Virtual Reality game – for the drama, the emotions – the thrills and chills – until one day we pause thegame and say, “I am tired of this. I can think ‘out of the box’ and want those skills returned. Give me back my powers.” It is then we go in seek of the tools which are innately ours.
Dreams bring telepathic messages as we time ravel or grid travel in our dreams where al exists. These are called precognitive dreams. If they are about the ‘world’ rather than our personal lives, they are called ‘collective dreams’.
Deceased souls sometimes bring messages through dreamtime. Communication is by thought form using symbols. In dreams youare moving faster than the speed of light. This is similar to meditation, time travel and remote viewing. You meet up with spirits and share adventures and information. In dreamtime you move faster and higher.
As your consciousness returns to the physical body the lower your get to your body – the more it slows down …slower…and slower… until you enter your consciousness mind and wake up in the sluggish place – we call 3D. it is here that the concept of lineartime exists. You can best understand this by remembering that in your dreams – you move from event to event but time is notmarked. There is no time beyond 3D as frequency of light – and that is all we are – is moving too fast. Remember – the lower and slower the frequency – the less likely to achieve telepathy or other abilities that work in faster light. 3D appears to be as dull as it gets.
Lovers definitely are more in tuned telepathically as being in love at that level is a very high frequency. This is not just about sex – though it is an aspect of it. Sexual activity is often telepathic in that one is responding to the needs of their partner on a higher level of expression.
Telepathy between members of the same family – or close friends is common as they learn to adjust to each other’s frequencies. There always seem to be one member of every family – usually a woman – who has psychic or telepathic abilities. Mother’s sense when children are in trouble. When you are in panic mode – the adrenaline flows and the telepathy kicks in to those would tune in to help you.
A woman could receive messages from her unborn child, often through dreams, but also telepathically.
People often sense the death of a family member. These make the most dramatic stories – heightened tension, nick-of-time rescues. However, keep in mind that telepathic situations may be happening all the time, but we lack the awareness to recognize them. In times of crisis we sent out our message and those who are in tune will pick it up.
Twins are often telepathic with each other creating these abilities when they are infants. they generally are in the same frequency at the same time and learn to communicate with words. very often it is just about a single thought – hunger. Telepathy between twins or family members can remain for a life time.
Technologically enabled telepathy
Converging Technologies, a 2002 report exploring the potential for synergy among nano-, bio-, informational and cognitive technologies (NBIC) for enhancing human performance.
Some people, occasionally referred to by themselves or others as “transhumanists”, believe that technologically enabled telepathy, coined “techlepathy”,”synthetic telepathy”,or “psychotronics”, will be the inevitable future of humanity. Kevin Warwick of the University of Reading, England is one of the leading proponents of this view and has based all of his recent cybernetics research around developing practical, safe technology for directly connecting human nervous systems together with computers and with each other. He believes techno-enabled telepathy will in the future become the primary form of human communication. He predicts that this will happen by means of the principle of natural selection, through which nearly everyone will have the need for such technology for economic and social reasons (low-self esteem).
Some, for example the science-fiction writer Spider Robinson in the book Deathkiller, have envisioned neurological research leading to technologically-assisted telepathy, also called techlepathy. As of 2004, scientists have demonstrated that brain imaging can be successfully used to recognise distinct thought patterns, and tell, for example, whether experimental monkeys thought about juice or water, and whether a human participant thought about a rotating cube or moving his paralyzed arm. Both implanted electrodes recording neurons’ activity and outside electrodes recording electromagnetic activity of the brain can be used.
Sources: Wikipedia, crystalinks
