English
We have called your attention to the fact that Interest develops Attention, and holds it fixed while an unin¬ teresting object or subject requires a much greater effort and application. This fact is apparent to anyone. A common illustration may be found in the matter of read¬ ing a book. Nearly everyone will give his undivided attention to some bright, thrilling stoiy, while but few are able to use sufficient Voluntary Attention to master the pages of some scientific work. But, right here, we wish to call your attention to the other side of the case. >\THE CULTIVATION OF ATTENTION is another example of the fact that Truth is /of paradoxes. 1 as Interest develops Attention, so it is a truth that Attention develops Interest. If one will take the trouble to give a little Voluntary Attention to an object, he will soon find that a little perseverance will bring to light points of Interest in the object. Things before unseen and unsuspected are quickly brought to light. And many new phases and aspects of the subject" or object aie seen, each one of which, ih turn, becomes an object of Interest. This is a fact not so generally known, and one that it will be well for you to remember, and to use in practice. Look for the interesting features of an uninteresting thing, and they will appear to your view, and before long the uninteresting object will have changed into a thing having many-sided interests. Voluntary Attention is one of the signs of a developed Will. That is, of a mind that has been .veil trained by the Will, for the Will is always strong, and it is the mind that has to be trained, not the Will. And on the other Rand, one of the best ways to train the mind by the Will is by practice in Voluntary Attention. So you see how the rule works both ways. Some Western psychologists have even advanced theories that the Voluntary Atten- tion is the only power of the Will, and that that power is sufficient, for if die Attention be firmly fixed and held upon an object, the mind will “ do the rest.” We do riot agree with this school of philosophers, but merely mention die fact as an illustration of the importance attributed by psychologists to this matter of Voluntary Attention. A man of a strongly developed Attention often iiccomplishes far more than some much brighter man who lacks it. Voluntary Attention and Application is a very good substitute for Genius, and often accomplishes far more in the long run. miST/tr RAJA YOGA ( iffVoluntary Attention is the fixing of thelChSid and intently upon some particular obj$c | jatj V fheAame time shutting out from consciousness other objects pressing for entrance. Hamilton has defined it as “ consciousness voluntarily applied under its law of limitations to some determinate object.” The same writer goes on to state that “ the greater the number of objects to which our consciousness is simultaneously extended, the smaller is the intensity with which it is able to con¬ sider each, and consequently the less vivid and distinct will be the information it contains of the several objects. When our interest in any particular object is excited, and when we wish to obtain all the knowledge concern¬ ing it in our power, it behoves us to limit our considera¬ tion to that object to the exclusion of others.” The human mind has the power of attending to only one object at a time, although it is able to pass from one object to another with a marvellous degree of speed, so rapidly, in fact, that some have held that it could grasp several things at once. But the best authorities. Eastern and Western, hold to the “ single idea ” theory as being correct. On this point we may quote a few authorities. Jouffroy says that “ It is established by experience that we cannot give our attention to two different objects at the same time.” And Holland, states that “ Two thoughts, however closely related to one another, cannot be pre¬ sumed to exist at the same time.” And Lewes has told us that “ The nature of our organism prevents our having more than one aspect of an object at each instant pre¬ sented to consciousness.” Whateley says: “The best philosophers are agreed that the mind cannot actually attend to more than one thing at a time, but, when it , appears to be doing so it is really shifting with prodigious rapidity backward and forward from one to the other.’ By giving a concentrated Voluntary Attention to ar THE CULTIVATION OF ATTENTION bject we not only are able to see and think at th e greatest possible degree of clearness, but* the" und has a tendency, under such circumstances, to bring into the field of consciousness all the different ideas . associated in our memory with that object or subject, , and to build around thd object or subject a mass of asso¬ ciated facts and information. And at the same time the Attention given the subject makes more vivid and clear all that we learn about the thing at the time, and, in fact, all that we may afterwards learn about it. It seems to cut a channel, through which knowledge flows. Attention magnifies and increases the powers of per¬ ception, and greatly aids the exercise of the perceptive faculties. By “ paying attention ” to something seen or heard, one is . enabled to observe the details of the thing seen or heard, and where the inattentive mind acquires, say, three impressions, the attentive mind absorbs three times three, or perhaps three times “ three times three,” or twenty-seven. And, as we have just said. Attention brings into play the powers of association, and gives us the “ loose end ” of an almost infinite chain of associated facts, stored away in our memory, forming new combina¬ tions of facts which we had never grouped together before, and bring out into the field of consciousness all the many scraps of information regarding the thing to which we are giving attention. The proof of this is within the experience of everyone. Where is the one who does not remember sitting down to some writing, painting, reading, etc., with interest and attention, and finding, much to his surprise, what a flow of facts regarding the matter in hand was passing through his mind? Attention seems to focus all the knowledge of a thing that you possess, an d by bringing it to a point enables you to combine, associate, classify, etc., and thus create new knowledge. Gibbon tells us that after he gave a brief glance and D RAJA YOGA eration to a new subject, he suspended fiJ jpon it, and allowed his mind (under concentre Sntion) to bring forth all his associated knowledge regarding the subject, after which he renewed the task with increased power and efficiency. The more one’s attention is fixed upon a subject under consideration, the deeper is the impression which the subject leaves upon the mind. And the easier will it be for him afterwards to pursue the same train of thought and work. Attention is a prerequisite of good memory, and, in fact, there can be no memory at all unless some degree’ of attention is given. The degree of memory depends upon the degree of attention and interest. And when it is considered that the work of to-day is made efficient by the memory of things learned yesterday, the day before yesterday, and so on, it is seen that the degree of attention given to-day regulates the quality of the work of to-morrow. Some authorities have described Genius as the result of great powers of attention, or, at least, that the two seem to run together. Some writer has said that “ pos¬ sibly the best definition of genius is the power of concen¬ trating upon some one given subject until its possibilities are exhausted and absorbed.” Simpson has said that “ The power and habit of thinking closely and continu¬ ously upon the subject at hand, to the exclusion, for the time, of all other subjects, is one of the principal, if, indeed, not the principal, means of success.” Sir Isaac Newton has told us his plan of absorbing information and knowledge. He has stated that he would keep the subject under consideration before him continually, and then would wait till the first dawning of perception gradu¬ ally brightened into a clear light, little by little. A mental sunrise, in fact. misTfy \THE CULTIVATION OF ATTENTION sage observer. Dr. Abercrombie, has written tsidered that he knew of no more important rule rising to eminence in any profession or occupation than the ability to do one thing at a time, avoiding all distracting and diverting objects or subjects, and keeping the leading matter continually before the mind. And others have added that such a course will enable one to observe relations between the subject and other things that will not be apparent to the careless observer or student. The degree of Attention cultivated by man is the degree of his capacity for intellectual work. As we have said, the “ great ” men of all walks of life have developed this faculty to a wonderful degree, and many of them seem to get results “ intuitively,” whereas, in truth, they obtain them by reason of their concentrated power of Attention, which enables them to see right into the centre of a sub¬ ject or proposition—and all around it, back and front, and all sides, in a space of time incredible to the man who has not cultivated this mighty power. Men who have devoted much attention to some special line of work or research are able to act almost as if they possessed second sight,” providing the subject is within their favourite field of endeavour. Attention quickens every one of the faculties—the reasoning faculties—the senses the deciding qualities—the analytical faculties, and so on, each being given a “ fine edge ” by their use under a concentrated Attention.