Channelise Your Energy: The Transformative Power of Concentration

Psychology is a science that deals with the physiological origin and ordering of the mind. There are exceptions among psychologists who consider the psyche a fundamental element of human beings. The psyche is the pure ego in individuality, which is not a thought, not a function of the mind, not a function of our intellect, not a sensation or a concept, but the unifying element of all. Modern psychology describes personality, intelligence, and other complex forms of the human mind. However, the study does not differentiate intuition from intellect. It is a fallacy in a sense because intuition is just the other pole of reason, that is, knowing without conscious reasoning.

It is very difficult, almost impossible, to describe concentration rationally because psychologists cannot correctly explain the simplest form of concentration, which is attention. In simple terms, concentration means the act of controlling the energy or modification of the mind to a single point. Here, willpower plays an important part because concentration and willpower are again inseparably connected. Why concentration plays such a decisive part in human development? It is simply because, by concentration, human beings acquire the right knowledge, inspiration and realisation.

The Power of Concentration

If we consider attention the simplest unit of concentration, we know it is a faculty of the mind. Attention is an oversimplification of an extremely complex phenomenon because we continuously receive different sensations through different powers of the senses, but let’s say somehow, mysteriously, we are able to narrow down the field of consciousness and focus on one thing for an extended time. Concentration, in a simple term, is the control of energy of the whole mind, which, with the help of willpower, can be directed toward one direction. Ordinarily, if we observe closely, our mental rays are scattered in all directions, which is what we call dispersed attention. Now, before concentration, there is a preliminary step in gathering energy or force.

Inner peace by the lake.

Our mind is always running externally, and our senses are much stronger than our willpower. We are easily distracted by pleasing objects, sensual subjects, and alluring thoughts. In other words, we are all bondslaves. At present, the mind is working under the control of impressions that we receive through the senses, and we have no power to control them. So, we need to accumulate all our forces and gather them in one focus.

We all know how hard it is to focus your mind on one single point. You sit down, close your eyes, and focus, and you will find the mind runs away, slips out, and does not obey the commands. Mind, by nature, is restless and governed by impressions created on it. Now, what are impressions? When we think something, it creates an impression on mind matter, and the total of all our impressions governs us. Even in our deep sleep, the mind is active and works by impressions that may lost in the unconscious plane but are recalled in the form of dreams.

By concentration, human beings acquire the right knowledge, inspiration, and realization.

Voluntary and Involuntary Attention

If you notice a cat catches its prey, you can notice a great detail of concentration in its eyes and the whole-body alignment. The whole motion of the body is arrested for catching a mouse, and a sort of hypnotic power through its eyes arrests the prey, and the mouse cannot get away. There is almost everything in the animal world; you can observe the power of concentration. A crane stands near the brook and intently observes the fish. The fish is in its area, scurrying and understands the potential threat; still, a big crane, with its swift movement, can catch the fish.

If we study the animal kingdom, we find that involuntary attention is exercised for basic survival. When you exercise your attention for basic survival, for example, for food and clothes, you will exercise this involuntary attention. However, this simple involuntary attention will be developed into voluntary attention through the force of habit and practice. Human beings, throughout evolution, learned to direct the energy of minds towards abstract ideas and objects. Human beings with persistent training of their minds were able to direct their attention to intellectual objects, study, music, art, and other finer laws.  Ordinarily, involuntary attention is limited to food, clothes and other survival things, but the finer laws that govern our intellectual, mental and spiritual laws are subjected to our voluntary attention.

All scientific discoveries, artistic endeavors that we enjoy, and lovely things we possess are nothing but the result of the expression of voluntary attention.

Voluntary attention is required for the pursuit of higher knowledge and realisation. We cannot live like animals, simply eating, procreating, sleeping, and so on. If we study carefully, we will find a deep cultural ethos embedded in human evolution. Our value structure is more or less the expression of the power of concentration. All scientific discoveries, artistic endeavours that we enjoy, and lovely things we possess are nothing but the result of the expression of voluntary attention.

Five Different Mental Plane According To Ancient Hindu Psychologists

Concentration is not linear. This means concentration is dynamic, and capability depends on different mental functions. Ancient Hindu psychologists divided mental conditions into five different states.

1. Ksipta, or a scattered state of mind, works through different gates of senses in all directions. The mind is vacillating, and one-pointedness is missing. You can observe people with this state of mind when a person picks up one thing, then drops it, and takes some other thing. The impulse is visible and seemingly unrest posture every time you observe this type of person.

2. The muddha, or stupid state of mind, is the second state in which a person cannot think, cannot see subtle factors, and cannot distinguish seemingly similar things from others. The intellectual faculty is covered, and the mind has no power to understand anything. A muddha mind can read a book, but it does not produce any lasting impression on the brain.

3. The third state is viksipta, where the mind swings between the two extremes – stupor and highly active. Mostly, you see highly active people; they plan and work vigorously, and when they get rest, they don’t know what to do. They go to sleep and remain stupid.

4. The fourth state of the mind is called ekagra or the one-pointed state. In this state, the mind's attention is directed and governed by willpower. One-pointedness is difficult to acquire and often requires daily practice. With practice, the mind will become peaceful and can hold one object for any length of time.

5. The final state of mind is called Niruddha. In this state, the avenues of the senses are completely closed, and nothing can enter the mind. Vibrations may pour into the brain, and sensations may constantly enter, but they fail to attack the plane of consciousness.

Practical Suggestions To Improve Ability To Pay Attention To The World

1. The first thing is to regulate your daily habits. Try to sleep and get up at approximately the same time daily. If you regulate your sleep, your circadian rhythms operate more fluidly, and your mood is relatively stable.

2. Your eating habits, especially in the morning, will drastically change your capacity to concentrate. It is always recommended to include protein and fat-rich food in your breakfast. This simple trick will significantly help people who have a proclivity for emotional stability, anxiety and general hopelessness.

3. Use a schedule and design the day you would like to have. You must be clear about yourself and have a vision regardless of your age. Put activities in the schedule you actually want to have that day. Your schedule should not be your tyrant teacher but your friend.

4. Increase your reading habits. For example, if you read 20 minutes a day, then after a week, increase that reading habit to 30 minutes a day. You should include your reading habits in your schedule. You must set a goal that goes beyond your current level of performance. Incremental progress pays you like compound interest.

5. What we call meditation is a difficult process that requires extreme patience to acquire a sense of meaning. What you can do is sit still for a few minutes and let the mind run on. But always keep a watch on it. This is mind watching mind. That experience of watchful waiting is very good practice. Keep a watch where your mind goes. The monkey mind turns back to see whether it is watched or not, and if it finds somebody watching, it does not go very far but comes back. That is its peculiar character.