Everything is separated and connected at the same time.
The reality is simultaneously divided, broken into small pieces and completely unified.
It depends on how you see the World and live your life. To be more precise, it depends on your preferred attention style.
When your attention is narrow, the reality seems filled with separated objects. Everything has its borders in time and space. You focus on one object (problem, issue, idea, person, detail, etc…) after another, trying to be precise and strive for perfection.
When you let your attention diffuse, all objects – including you – merge with space around them, and everything becomes one. It is the easiest way to relax – immerse with the World around you and discover that everything is already connected and gently vibrates in ideal harmony.
Now, a few examples.
The wave in the ocean is separated from other waves if you narrow your attention and focus on it.
However, if you diffuse (widen, broaden) your attention – you will see that all waves belong to the same bigger object — the ocean, and they have not been separated from it even for a moment.
If you diffuse your attention a bit more, you will see that the ocean could not exist without the space above it. You can say that waves are separated from one another, and the ocean is separated from the space above it. And it is clearly true, but only if you are in the narrow attention style.
When your attention is diffused, it all becomes one.
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Every tree in the forest seems separated from other trees when you narrow your attention on it.
However, if you diffuse your attention, you will see that all trees are connected and form the forest. You can diffuse your attention more and notice space between trees and around the forest. Trees could not exist without space between them. Trees and space are part of the same thing.
You can diffuse your attention even more, become aware of space inside trees, and feel oneness.
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Everyone is different. We sense these differences the moment we meet a new person and focus on her/him.
However, if you diffuse your attention, you will see that we all belong to the same group of living species built of matter from the planet Earth. The matter flows through us, and we are connected through this flow (see this video, which beautifully backs it up – link).
If you diffuse even more, you will see that the space between us (and above us) is an integral part of our reality. The Earth (and we as a part of it) and the Universe around it are the same thing.
In other words, we are the Universe. We are one.
.You are free to choose how to attend your reality,
and it can never be taken away from you.
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If you want to feel for yourself how diffuse attention feels, commit 10 minutes and try one of free diffusing attention exercises.
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Flexible attention is an ability to alternate between narrow attention (focused) and diffused attention (broad) or to apply both at the same time.Narrowing makes us specific but requires dividing reality into smaller pieces (objects). Diffusing allows us to see the big picture and connect (immerse) with its elements.
Pain, anxiety and problems make the attention narrow and objective. We can self help ourselves by diffusing and immersing our attention.
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photo by Carlos Castro/CC BY, photo by Jeff Turner/CC BY
photo by Sreejith K/CC BY
, photo by DonkeyHotey/CC BY
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A focus/awareness practice that intrigues me is to be keenly aware that if you project a vertical line from yourself upward, it goes into outer space. Occasionally it may intercept a material object out there, but generally it goes on and on into an infinite void.
With this in mind, it becomes so clear that we are like ants scurrying over the surface of the Earth, focused on other things that are on the surface of the Earth (physical things, mental constructs related to things on the Earth’s surface – except pure mathematics). Even high altitude flying or mountain climbing are, in this perspective, just slight bumps on the Earth’s surface. The only exceptions would be excursions of astronauts beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
Furthermore, in daylight hours when the sky is filled with blue scattered light and contains clouds, we can remind ourselves that the atmosphere is a thin protective blanket around the Earth which our vertical ray, mentioned above, can easily pierce and continue out into the void (as in the night sky).
To apply this concept, whenever you feel out of balance (physically or mentally) or overwhelmed with too many things to do, just think of how your projection into outer space reveals to you that you are at the edge of outer space. It puts thing in perspective. You, your problems, even the Earth, is so small in comparison with the Universe.
You will feel centered, balanced, and blessed to be here and enjoy life.
Antonio Lucero