LAW OF THREE (19) The Three States of Attention

LAW OF THREE (19)  The Three States of Attention

QUATE:

"Both the affirmative and the receptive will are necessary for salvation. But there is a third will, the reconciling will, that is the Will of God. Nothing can happen without it. It is through this third will that the Divine Omnipotence is manifested. Man can only affirm or accept; he can neither make laws nor set himself free from them. Those powers are reserved by God; but it seems that, at moments, God allows man to exercise them. That is the real secret of freedom. Man is never alone. His "I" can affirm or it can accept, but nothing whatever can happen without God, for there can be no act without the third or reconciling will." J.G. Bennett

THE THREE STATES OF THE ATTENTION

In any given moment our attention may be focused (+) or actively directed to an object; lost (-) in thoughts and imaginings (absorbed in an object); or consciously open, receptive and alert (=)

Our attention gives consciousness to the object of its observation: it may be giving it intentionally (+) or unintentionally (-) as when sustained by the attracting power of the object.

When we are unawarely lost in imaginings we believe that what we see (i.e. a dream) is real. This happens when we dream at night because the brain cannot distinguish the difference between reality and dreaming.

When our attention is lost we are not aware of our own presence. But when our attention is consciously directed to an object we can be both conscious of the object and of oneself looking at the object.

Attention relates the observer (+) to the observed (-). It is relates them in the form of the arising of information (=). For example if we direct our attention to our left foot we will receive information from our left foot. If no message of sensation is perceived from the left foot we will need to see the doctor in order to reestablish the connection.

The third mode of attention is open, alert, or receptive attention. When attention is open and receptive we open ourselves to something beyond ourselves. Attention open and receptive requires effortless effort, a sort of conscious releasing of tension.

The difficulty of exercising an open or receptive attention is referred by Jesus:

"And therefore keep watch for you do not know the day your Lord will come. Mat. 24:42. and when Jesus found in Gethsemane the three disciples asleep and said:: Can´t any of you stay awake with Me for just an hour? Mat. 26:40 (note three disciples).