Mini Series: Shifting Shame to Empowerment - Part II - Building Attentional Skills

Hello Beautiful Infinite Beings!

Yesterday we talked about "attention" and "noticing." Today I'm going to expand on that by sharing the different types of attention and how they can be put to work for you to create awesomeness! This amazing work comes from Dr. Les Fehmi. While I tend to apply this body of knowledge differently, I am so grateful for his magnificent contribution to humanity in doing this work. Without further ado ...

Attention to Attention - Focusing Styles
Let's now look at the various ways we pay attention and the impact of those various styles on our life experience. It may surprise you how many styles of "attention" are available to us.

• The scope of attentionThe scope of our attention, viewed objectively, extends from a spherical and unlimited diffuse attention (Horizontally) at one end to a narrow scope and focus of attention at the other. 

• Proximity to experienceThe scope of our attention, viewed objectively, extends from absorbed or immersed attention at the top (Vertically) to attention which is objective or separate from the contents of our attention.

When we divide attention in this manner, we see that it creates four quadrants, and each is ruled by a particular style or set of of attentional characteristics.

• Diffuse or Broad AttentionAs an extreme style of attention, Diffuse Attention is associated with an all-around, three dimensional, simultaneous and equal attention to all available external and internal stimuli and the space in which they occur.

• Narrow or Pointed AttentionNarrow attention refers to an awareness of a limited sub-set of available stimuli to the exclusion of the other stimuli. The extreme of "narrow focused" attention is one-pointed attention.

• Immersed or Absorbed AttentionThe extreme of immersed attention refers to a way of relating to available experience such that the person paying attention enters into union with or becomes totally absorbed in the experience.

• Objective or Separate AttentionThe extreme of objective attention occurs when the self is completely remote from the contents of attention, disconnected from single or multisensory experience of the attender, without empathy or intuition (into-it-ness). 

Extremes of "objective or separate" attention are associated with coldness where as extreme "immersed or absorbed" attention may be associated with warmth and closeness, full immersion in ongoing single or multisensory experience.

Those of you following along in this mini-series will want to remember these attentional styles so they may act as allies in the shift you are creating from Shame to Empowerment.

Stay tuned for my next post when we dive deeper still into the "how" of creating an extraordinary life!