by Keith Park, Ph.D.
One of the often-cited quotes in modern literature is the one by the novelist and philosopher, Aldous Huxley, in his book The Doors of Perception. It goes:
“The brain does not produce mind, it reduces mind…each of us is potentially ‘Mind at Large.’ But in so far as we are animals our business at all cost is to survive. To make biological survival possible, Mind at Large has to be funneled through the reducing valve of the brain and nervous system. What comes out the other end is a measly trickle of the kind of consciousness which will help us stay alive on the surface of this particular planet.”
With this statement Huxley is explaining in simple terms that consciousness is a fundamental aspect of nature, and when funneled through the brain produces individual consciousness; this is known as transmission theory of consciousness. It is different from the conventional view- production theory- which states that mind is simply a by-product of brain function.
Despite the popularity of production theory, modern neuroscience cannot show a direct cause between brain activity and reported conscious experience, only a correlation. In reality, both theories- production and transmission- are viable. That is, it is just as likely that certain conscious experiences result when neurochemical interactions are no longer suppressing them, just as it is that such experiences are the direct result of interactions. Therefore, in this article, I present transmission theory, which states that consciousness is universal and is filtered like light through a prism to produce individual consciousness.
Transmission theory explains a lot of the unusual or above-normal experiences we encounter in life, like extra-sensory perception, mental healing, savant abilities, and mystical or transcendent experiences. I propose that such experiences are simply moments when there is a “crack in the filter,” so to speak, and an influx of expanded or universal consciousness.
Expanded awareness goes by many names. Scientists call it nonlocal awareness. Hindus and Buddhists call it a state of samadhi or universal absorption. Ancient Greeks called it henosis or “oneness.” Others call it “Union with the Divine.”
Most unity or transcendent experiences occur suddenly and then fade quickly as one returns to ordinary awareness. Common features include a loss of individuality, awareness merging with the surroundings, a sense of timelessness, great peace and joy, deep knowing, and the emergence of insight and revelation.
I had one such experience driving home one late afternoon while observing the setting sun. Relaxed, and not doing much at all, except driving, I had the sudden awareness of interrelated motions of the sun, earth, and moon. For a brief moment, I was not “me” perceiving objects along the road, but simply “an awareness” observing motions and interrelationships within itself. (see my article “3 Simple Steps to Awaken the Divine” for more details about this experience).
Words often fail to describe such an experience unless you’ve had one yourself. Less dramatic but more common experiences include moments of creative insight (the “Aha!” experience), profound aesthetic moments (such as appreciating great beauty in art and nature), and peak athletic moments. At these times, we are in the “flow” or “zone” and thoughts and actions move fluidly.
Though these experiences occur naturally, we often do not know what we experienced or how to re-experience it. We either explain the experience away, forget about it, or remember it as a rare and exceptional moment.
But, these peak or transcendent moments need not be fleeting or hard to recapture. Each of us can have them on a regular basis, and be wiser, happier, and more peaceful as result. All we need is a little practice and patience and some training in how to be aware of and adjust our focus.
EXPLORING STATES OF FOCUS AND AWARENESS
So how do we consciously and regularly experience an expanded state of awareness and reap its benefits? Basically, it depends on knowing the scope of your attention and then making a conscious act to alter it.
Focus can be seen as the filter for consciousness we spoke about earlier. Imagine a camera zoom lens. At one end, we have a broad aperture; and at the other end, we have a constricted aperture. Awareness, or access to broader realms of consciousness, fluctuates depending on the scope or aperture of your focus. When the scope is wide, we have a broader, more expansive range of awareness; whereas, when the scope is constricted, we have a narrower, more concentrated range of awareness.
All experiences are the result of differing amounts of these two basic scopes: broad (open, receptive, inclusive)and narrow (concentrative, directive, selective). By locating where you fall on the continuum at any moment, you can better explain your experience and adjust your scope to have the experience you choose.
Below are the various states of mind you can experience at each point along the continuum.
Dissolving/ Defuse Focus
At the broadest scope of awareness we have a defuse or dissolving focus. Here, we are so relaxed or mentally fatigued that our mind wanders or vacates. Examples include “vegging” in front of the TV, “zoning out” the window during a boring lecture, or losing our train of thought during a conversation.
While in this state, we have no clear focus, nor a sense of an observing presence, a body, the surroundings, or the passage of time. It is as if nobody is home. For these reasons, this is not a productive state to be in if we want to experience expanded awareness and greater insight.
Hyper / Shallow Focus
At the other extreme of the attentional spectrum, we have hyper-focus. While in this state, typically while experiencing high arousal or emotion, we are engaging a single target or multiple targets in quick sequential fashion. This is hard, scattered and reactive focus.
Due to busy modern life, hyper-focus is the most common state of awareness. We are in it most of our waking day. Notice it the next time you are dealing with daily demands. Typically, and out of necessity, you will find yourself moving from task to task without giving much consideration to each task. Focus is often quick and shallow.
In this state, we often have little or no sense of an observing self, a body, our surroundings, or the passage of time. Examples include heated conversation/arguing, errand-running/rushing, and divided or distracted work (i.e. multi-tasking).
Hyper-focus makes up most of conscious life. It is the ordinary mind, and the one the Hindu holy text, the Bhagavad Gita, refers to as “wilder than the wind.” This state of mind is often characterized as being drawn by likes and dislikes of the moment, and to familiar objects of interest.
Hyper-focus has survival advantage. It enables us to quickly assess salient aspects of our experience and get a grip on things. However, due to its limited and fragmentary scope, used too much, it can result in an impoverished view of reality.
This is especially true when applied to the Self. The result is the limited mental concept known as the ego. A sense of ego (or false self) appears when we identify too strongly with the narrow stream of ongoing analysis characterized by waking consciousness, or what I call “focal” consciousness.
We often assume we are the ego and that this is a stable quality of who we are. But, in reality, this limited sense of self (as well as our ordinary perceptions of the world) is constructed anew out of the stream of thoughts and sensations entering focal awareness at each moment.
The narrow range of awareness associated with focal or ego consciousness creates the illusion that we are separate from each other and the rest of the world. It creates the perception that we are independent “subjects” perceiving “objects” out there, and that the world is made up of forms, objects, divisions and differences.
But, beneath the surface, everything is one thing: consciousness or intelligent energy. Consciousness hides in the world of forms as deeper order, symmetry, larger patterns, and direct or intuitive knowing. According to the Upanishads, another set of Hindu texts, this deeper reality can never be known by the reasoning mind and its desire to divide up and categorize experience- to try is futile. Ordinary mind wants to see the trees instead of the forest. The mystic sees it all as a reflection of something deeper.
One of the most timeless stories to illustrate ordinary mind’s misperception of reality can be found in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave.” As the story goes prisoners are chained in a cave and cannot see the outside world. The only thing they can see are shadows of the outside world casted on the cave wall. The prisoners therefore mistake the shadows for the real things. Plato uses this analogy to compare the prisoners’ misperception of shadows for reality to our misperception of surface appearances for reality.
This sentiment is echoed by Socrates who added: “In order that the mind should see light instead of darkness, so the entire soul must be turned away from this changing world, until its eye can bear to contemplate reality and that supreme splendor which we call the Good.”
Plato’s allegory of the cave is similar to the Hindu notion of maya. According to Hindu philosophy, maya represents the illusion we experience when we are too preoccupied with physical appearances that we don’t see deeper reality. The Buddhist equivalent is avidya; the Judeo-Christian version is “things of the flesh.”
Therefore, if we are to experience expanded states of awareness, and glimpse something grander, we must disengage from time to time from our ordinary narrow state of focus.
Limited Conscious or Focal Mind Exercise:
You can see ego consciousness for the illusion it is when you stop for a moment, empty your mind, and observe your breathing and nothing else. Without thought to interpret the experience, your focus will expand, move out of ego consciousness, and there will be no ego or ordinary sense of self.
Likewise, you can see the limited state of focal or ego consciousness by trying the following experiment: State or write everything you are conscious of for 30 seconds. Then, when you are done, take a moment to recall something that you have left out. At any given moment, you are conscious of only a fraction of what is going on in your mind. Focal or ego consciousness is selective, and this ordinary waking state is an extremely narrow range of awareness.
Immersed or Absorbed Mode
As we move inward along the spectrum of attention from hyper-focus, we find the narrowly immersed or absorbed state of awareness. Here, focus is narrow, but not as narrow as hyper-focus. In this state, we are calmly focusing on one area of the attentional field, and not scattered about attending sequentially to multiple targets, as with hyper-focus.
Because we our calm and sustained in one area, the area of focus opens to us. We experience a deepening effect- an experience of going into the target and being one with it- which is unlike the quick and shallow experience of hyper-focus. When successfully harnessed, this is the meditative state. The Buddhists refer to it as vipassana or insight focus.
While in this deeply absorbed state, the mind is completely immersed in the area of focus and there is a blocking out of the sense of an observing presence, an ego self, a body, the surroundings, and the passage of time. We are focused only on one area.
Narrow immersion differs from the “vegging out” qualities of dissolving focus in that there is a focus in one area, not a lack of focus. Dissolving focus may, however, slip into immersed focus if we begin to focus on a single train of thought.
Examples of immersed focus include being so caught up in a movie, book, conversation, song, deep thought, or creative project or problem that we join with its content and block out everything else. Afterwards, as the observing Self awakens from this state- much like from a dream or a trance- it recognizes it was asleep (“Oh, wow! Look at the time. Where have I been?”).
Immersed focus, when turned inward, can provide deeper insights into the nature of self and reality (as we find in meditation). But, as we shall see, in order to experience the greatest insight, awareness must be openly absorbed, and this takes a fine balance between broad and narrow focus. We will discuss how to be in open absorption in the section on expanded awareness.
Detached or Pure Observer Mode
As we move further along the attention spectrum, and focus widens, we move into the witness or observer mode. In this state, unlike the other states, we are aware of ourselves as an detached observer perceiving the world around us as well as our interaction with the world. Here, we are fully awake and conscious with clear, comprehensive focus. We are aware of an observing presence, the passage of time, the surroundings, having a body, and the ego self (with its ongoing thoughts and reactions).
For example, while reading this article in calm open focus, you may simultaneously be aware of your thoughts about the article, the feel of your body as you read, and your surroundings. Though you may not be fully absorbed in the content of these words as you would when narrower focused, you are aware enough to understand their meaning at the same time you are aware of your place in present time and space.
Being in the observer mode can be enlightening because you can watch your reactions to life events and begin to understand why you do what you do. You become the observer of yourself at the same time you observe the world. Buddhists call this state smrti or mindful awareness; psychologists call it metacognition; others call it situational awareness.
The observer mode arises once awareness is freed from its immersion in the narrow stream of thought that drives focal or ego consciousness. What remains is a larger, purer background awareness. For example, we may find ourselves in this state when we are struck speechless by a beautiful sunset. During this brief moment, we are not commenting on what we perceive. We are simply taking in the beauty and wonder of the experience.
The observing awareness is the same awareness permeating the universe, only manifesting in you. The observer is what we normally refer to as “I.” It is who you really are. It’s your True Self; and this Self is different from the mentally-constructed ego. The ancient Hindu sage, Patanjali, reminds us that we are awake when we realize that the ever-present Seer (the True Self) “dwells in its own nature” and not in the ever-changing “thought streams.”
Because it is a state of awareness uncontaminated by thought I call the observer mode the “detached” or “pure” awareness mode. In the absence of dissecting, interpreting, and/or filtering experience, we are directly open to experience and can see the big picture.
Detached observing, however, does not mean that we don’t think; that would be nearly impossible. It means that we observe an experience without our thoughts contaminating the experience. We simply observe the experience as well as the fact that we are having thoughts, and this leads to greater insight.
Observer Exercise:
Try this. Sit for a moment and close your eyes. Observe your mind. Notice that there are thoughts and there is a mental space or awareness within which thoughts occur. Notice further that you are the witness- the surrounding awareness- observing the thoughts and not the thoughts.
This silent background awareness is who you really are- pure awareness- and not any mental concept constructed by your thoughts. Ego consciousness occurs when you- the observing awareness- narrowly immerses in the content of thoughts and believes you are the content. We often mistake this narrow stream of consciousness for who we really are because, like a dramatic and realistic movie, it draws us in.
To see this further, immerse yourself in the thoughts for a moment, and watch how you react. You might, for instance, allow yourself to elaborate for a moment on an errand you have to do or a past event.
Afterwards, stop what you are doing, step out, and realize that you are responding to thought. Look at the thoughts and/or images from a distance. Say to yourself, “There are those thoughts there about…(a summary label of the content).” By practicing zooming in and out like this you will become more adept at noticing and controlling your level of awareness.
If you find yourself having trouble pulling yourself out of your thoughts, be gentle with yourself. Simply take a deep breath, relax, and go back to observing. When you have observed silently for a few moments, open your eyes, and take note of the experience. What was it like? Some say it’s quiet, peaceful, open, illuminating. Now that you have experienced it yourself, it is easier to know how to do it during daily life.
Observer Exercise #2:
Take a silent walk in nature and take in the scenery around you. Walk outside instead of indoors since it is more open. As you walk, be open to everything in your awareness. See the sky and land; hear the wildlife, smell the plants, feel the breeze. Perceive directly without labeling anything. For example, if you see a bird fly by, don’t say, “Oh, what a pretty bird.” Simply observe the movement of the bird across the greater sky and land, seeing everything in context as one, without dissecting or naming anything as ‘sky,’ ‘land,’ or ‘bird.’
Be fully present and open to everything around you without interpreting. Try to see the world as a child would for the first time: fresh and new. Be curious. Look for the wonder and mystery. Peer beneath to the larger patterns and interrelationships. Appreciate the deeper order.
Expanded Awareness
It only takes a little more broadening focus to get into pure, expanded awareness. Expanded awareness is broader and deeper than the detached observer mode; this occurs when focus widens beyond the observer mode, yet doesn’t dissolve all together. To get to this state, we have to empty the mind completely, and this takes a little practice.
You know you are in expanded awareness when your intact awareness merges with the surroundings, and you have the sense of observing from the vantage point of the surroundings. That is, awareness is no longer perceiving from a localized position out at objects, but instead, from an all-encompassing position to things within itself. It moves from “I am aware of that” to “All things are within this awareness.”
In the sunset example, it would be like observing the sunset not from an individual perspective, but from the earth’s perspective- similar to what I experienced coming home that late afternoon.
In this expanded state, there is awareness of being an observing presence, but one that is absorbed in the surroundings, not locally absorbed, as with narrow immersion. For this reason, we call expanded awareness “open absorption” (samadhi in Hinduism). Still, like narrow immersion, open immersion leads to a loss of a sense of time, having a body, and an ego (i.e. focal consciousness is completely dissolved).
How can awareness “merge” with the surroundings to become an all-encompassing awareness? Recall that the background awareness in your own mind is the very same awareness permeating the universe. At the deepest level, everything is just one consciousness. When we release the mental filter that walls off universal awareness (and creates individual awareness), we are left with nonlocal awareness- our default mode.
Expanded Awareness Exercise:
You can experience expanded awareness yourself by sitting down, closing your eyes, and being quiet for a moment. Simply sit, empty your mind, and take in all that you hear around you. Listen without interfering with the experience, commenting on it, or wandering into thoughts. Do not engage any particular sound. Take in all sounds evenly. Just be in this opening space of awareness and think nothing. Be in direct full awareness.
Now, open your eyes, go outside, and look out to the distant horizon. Look at the sky and land together. Merge all objects into one whole. Simply spend a few moments taking in everything you sense at once: sights, sounds, smells, and the feel of it.
Don’t strive or go looking for anything. Avoid noticing and thinking about things in your awareness. The key to experiencing this state is to NOT pay attention to thoughts, things, or objects of perception, which is so unlike our ordinary state of mind. Just empty your mind and take in everything in a silent, open state of awareness. You simply witness the present moment directly and nothing else.
If you want you can imagine that you are a mind without a body- just a mind expanding in space, and nothing else. Stay open and allow your awareness to expand further and further out.
Practice this over and over again, and do not discouraged. It may happen suddenly, or it may take some time. Just be patient.
Conclusion
In summary, you now have a basic idea of the major states of awareness and how to get into them. Use this information as a guide to determine your state at any moment and move into the one you choose.
For best results, consider cultivating your awareness as a regular practice- maybe as a form of mindfulness meditation. Fifteen or twenty minutes, once or twice a day, should suffice. Plus, also remember to monitor yourself throughout the day to make sure you are in the right state of mind.
Again, don’t get discouraged if you find that it is hard to stay in broader states of awareness for long. Just keep refocusing, and eventually, you will stay longer and enjoy the benefits.
If you can do these things, and simply observe what is happening within your awareness at any moment, you will begin to see things in new ways, experience longer periods of clearer insight, and find greater peace and joy. You will have the possibility for real change.
Keith Park, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and national-certified counselor. He is the founder and director of Solutions Counseling, a solution-based counseling service, and Inner Life Meetings, a small group forum, both of which are devoted to helping people discover and develop their inner potential and life goals. You can reach him at:www.theserenitysolution.com.
For more information on how to use your focus in flexible ways- not only as practice for expanded states of awareness, but to deal with everyday challenges- check out my book The Serenity Solution: How To Use Quiet Contemplation To Solve Life’s Problems at www.theserenitysolution.com.