YOUR MIND AND HOW TO USE IT/PART5
CHAPTER V.
Attention.
INTIMATELY
connected with the object of consciousness is that process of the mind which we
call "attention." Attention is generally defined as "the
application of the mind to a mental state." It is often referred to as
"concentrated consciousness," but others have ventured the somewhat
daring conjecture that consciousness itself is rather the result of attention,
instead of the latter being an incident of consciousness. We shall not attempt
to discuss this question here, except to state that consciousness depends very
materially upon the degree of attention bestowed upon its object. The
authorities place great importance upon the intelligent direction of the
attention, and hold that without this the higher forms of knowledge are
impossible.
It
is the common belief that we feel, see, hear, taste, or smell whenever objects
affecting those senses come in contact with the organs of sense governing them.
But this is only a partial truth. The real truth is that we become conscious of
the report of these senses only when the attention is directed toward the
sensation, voluntarily or involuntarily. That is to say, that in many
cases although the sense nerves and organs report a disturbance, the mind does
not become consciously aware of the report unless the attention is directed
toward it either by an act of will or else by reflex action. For instance, the
clock may strike loudly, and yet we may not be conscious of the fact, for we
are concentrating our attention upon a book; or we may eat the choicest food
without tasting it, for we are listening intently to the conversation of our
charming neighbor. We may fail to perceive some startling occurrence happening
under our very eyes, for we are buried in deep thought concerning something far
removed from the present scene. There are many cases on record showing that one
may be so interested in speaking, thinking, or acting that he will not
experience pain that would otherwise be intolerable. Writers have forgotten
their pain in the concentrated interest bestowed upon their work; mothers have
failed to feel pain when their infants required urgent attention; orators have
been so carried away by their own eloquence that they have failed to feel the
pricking of the pin by means of which their friends have sought to attract
their attention. Not only perception and feeling depend largely upon attention,
but the processes of reasoning, memory, and even of will, depend upon attention
for much of their manifestation.
Psychologists
divide attention into two general classes, viz.: (1) voluntary attention and
(2) involuntary attention.
Voluntary
attention is attention directed by the will to some object of our own more or
less deliberate selection. It requires a distinct effort of the will in order
to focus the attention in this way, and many persons are scarcely aware of its
existence, so seldom do they manifest it. Voluntary attention is the result of
training and practice, and marks the man of strong will, concentration, and
character. Some authorities go so far as to say that much of that which is
commonly called "will power" is really but a developed form of
voluntary attention, the man of "strong will" holding before him the
one idea which he wishes to realize.
Involuntary
attention, often called "reflex attention," is attention called forth
by a nervous response to some sense stimulus. This is the common form of
attention, and is but the same form which is so strongly manifested by children
whose attention is caught by every new object, but which cannot be held for any
length of time by a familiar or uninteresting one.
It
is of the utmost importance that one should cultivate his power of voluntary
attention. Not only is the will power strengthened and developed in this way,
but every mental faculty is developed by reason thereof. The training of the
voluntary attention is the first step in mental development.
Training
the Attention.
That
the voluntary attention may be deliberately trained and developed is a fact
which many of the world's greatest men have proved for themselves. There is
only one way to train and develop any mental power of faculty—and that is by
practice and use. By practice, interest may be given to objects previously
uninteresting, and thus the use of the attention develops the interest which
further holds it. Interest is the natural road over which attention travels
easily, but interest itself may be induced by concentrated attention. By
studying and examining an object, the attention brings to light many new and
novel features regarding the thing, and these produce a new interest which in
turn attracts further and continued attention.
There
is no royal road to the development of voluntary attention. The only true
method is work, practice, and use. You must
practice on uninteresting things, the primary interest being your desire to
develop the power of voluntary attention. But as you begin to attend to the
uninteresting thing you will become interested in the task for its own sake.
Take some object and "place your mind upon it." Think of
its nature, where it came from, its use, its associations, its probable
future, of things related to it, etc., etc. Keep the attention firmly upon it,
and shut out all outside ideas. Then, after a little practice of this kind, lay
aside the object for the time being, and take it up again the next day,
endeavoring to discover new points of interest in it. The main thing to be
sought is to hold the thing in your mind, and this can be done only
by discovering features of interest in it. The interest-loving
attention may rebel at this task at first, and will seek to wander from the
path into the green pastures which are found on each side thereof. But you must
bring the mind back to the task, again and again.
After
a time the mind will become accustomed to the drill, and will even begin to
enjoy it. Give it some variety by occasionally changing the objects of
examination. The object need not always be something to be looked at. Instead,
select some subject in history or literature, and "run it down,"
endeavoring to bring to light all the facts relating to it that are possible to
you. Anything may be used as the subject or object of your
inquiry; but what is chosen must be held in the field of conscious attention
firmly and fixedly. The habit once acquired, you will find the practice most
fascinating. You will invent new subjects or objects of inquiry, investigation,
and thought, which in themselves will well repay you for your work and time.
But never lose sight of the main point—the development of the power of
voluntary attention.
In
studying the methods of developing and training the voluntary attention, the
student should remember that any exercise which develops the
will, will result in developing the attention; and, likewise, any exercise
which develops the voluntary attention will tend to strengthen the will. The
will and attention are so closely bound together that what affects one also
influences the other. This fact should be borne in mind, and the exercises and
practices based upon it.
In
practicing concentration of voluntary attention, it should be remembered that
concentrating consists not only of focusing the attention upon
a given object or subject, but also of the shutting out of
impressions from other objects or subjects. Some authorities advise that the
student endeavor to listen to one voice among many, or one instrument among the
many of a band or orchestra. Others advise the practice of concentrating on the
reading of a book in a room filled by persons engaged in conversation, and
similar exercises. Whatever aids in narrowing the circle of
attention at a given moment tends to develop the power of voluntary attention.
The
study of mathematics and logic is also held to be an excellent practice in
concentration of voluntary attention, inasmuch as these studies require close
concentration and attention. Attention is also developed by any study or
practice which demands analysis of a whole into its parts, and
then the synthesis or building up of a whole from its
scattered parts. Each of the senses should play a part in the exercises, and in
addition to this the mind should be trained to concentrate upon some one idea
held within itself—some mental image or abstract idea existing independently of
any object of immediate sense report.
NEXT CHAPTER
Comments
Post a Comment