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CHAPTER 3- THE FOCUSED MIND- HOW POWERFUL IT CAN BE

For the brain to function at its optimal level, it is necessary to strengthen the ability to focus. It sounds easy, and in fact it is very simple to gain more control over the wandering mind as well as lengthen the attention span.

Thinking goes on constantly. In some ways it is similar to breathing. No effort seems to be required because it happens naturally. Yet in order to study for an important exam or to memorize lines for a play, there is the ability to apply more focus and attention where it’s really needed. This proves that the ability to focus the mind more effectively is linked to motivation. There are extreme cases in which people holding on to a focused thought or a hope have survived tremendous amounts of suffering.

In one example of a study researching the benefits of mind focusing meditation, a group of people who had signed up to attend a meditation retreat were divided in two groups. One group attended the retreat, while the other group waited. The meditation involved sitting quietly for up to five hours a day. After a period of time the two groups were given the same test which required watching a screen while lines were flashed on it repeatedly. When one line appeared that was shorter than the rest, they were to press a button. This is an extremely boring test requiring a certain amount of focus and attention in order to get an accurate score. The group that had been practicing meditation caught many more of the short lines with more accuracy and fewer false alarms than the other group. Improvement was in the accuracy and not a faster reflex to the shorter lines. Clearly the meditation had helped to develop an ability to focus the mind and to concentrate for a longer period of time.

One way to get a sense for how hard it is to control the mind is to sit for five to ten minutes and try to focus on the breath or counting to ten repeatedly. At some point, the mind begins to wander away from the chosen point of focus. When this happens, experts in the mindfulness practice advise people to just calmly revert their attention back to the main point of focus. It is important not to feel disappointed for not being able to concentrate. Instead, be pleased that you have taken note of the wandering mind and are able to steer it gently back. Like this, although it can feel impossible at first, it soon becomes easier to control thoughts.

If you are able to control your thoughts and fully attend to what you are doing at every moment, basically have one pointed attention, then there is a whole different level of experience with a multitude of benefits. Here are some of the benefits acquired by gaining a more focused mind:

• Ability to achieve more in less time

• Better memory

• Self confidence

• Increased will power

• Freedom from bothersome and troubling thoughts

• Ability to tackle and solve problems without fear

• Letting go of the anxiety of not having enough time

• Better results in how you communicate and relate to people around you

• Peace and serenity

Finding exercises to control the mind or starting a meditation practice can seem daunting. The mind does not want to be controlled and it can appear as though it is the leader. The opposite is true in fact and with practice it is possible to gain control of it. This may seem like giving up a certain freedom. Thoughts give shape to a personality. They do, and that is exactly why it’s so important to be able to use the mind as an instrument. With the proper focus it becomes clear what to concentrate on and what not to at any given moment.

Freedom from being ruled by your thoughts gives one the ability to remain calm in difficult circumstances, and to let go of the notion that concentration is tiring. Many people from a young age have developed a belief that concentrating is an unpleasant strain. As children you are told you didn’t do as well as you could have because of a lack of concentration. There is the constant pressure to study more. Slowly an association of concentrating and doing things that are not necessarily enjoyable begin to go hand in hand. The myth that concentration is a strain begins. This myth can be broken, and the power and ability to control the mind needs time and a systematic form of practice.

If thoughts cannot be controlled at all and there is a tendency to let the mind linger in negative thinking over a sustained period, it is possible that depression or chronic stress can develop. When there are uncomfortable thoughts linked to stressful emotions or intense sadness, the body chemistry is altered causing tension and stress. This is an example of how powerful the mind is and how important it is to learn to control the thoughts, to focus the mind and to concentrate. It is the key to staying healthy and being more successful on all levels.