Thanksgiving and Metacognition

[Lou Gold]

There's topic that I'd like to address about becoming more aware. Lemme see if I, as a non-philosopher, can muster some passable lingo.

First, let me acknowledge that despite the fact that I often squirm at the torrent of words, logic, concepts and the like along the Steiner path, I do think I grok the underlying proposition that it is possible to systematically/scientifically/subjectively observe and evolve one's awareness in a more-and-more expanded, thoughtful and engaged first-person way.

I'd like to propose a very simple exercise: Go to some quiet, calm place (perhaps but not necessarily in nature); a scene generally free of disturbing distractions. Take a stroll allowing your thoughts to wander freely as they please and notice that some thoughts will make the entire scene around you vanish, while other thoughts may deepen or expand your view of the scene or even reveal new insights about it. Just notice thoughts as tools and observe what they do.

Now, repeat the stroll just repeating, "thank you" or "I'm grateful" or "I appreciate" and see/feel what happens with the scene around you. That's it. Nothing more. Just notice how your own thought tools function and allow your awareness to build.

[AshvinP]

There's topic that I'd like to address about becoming more aware. Lemme see if I, as a non-philosopher, can muster some passable lingo.

First, let me acknowledge that despite the fact that I often squirm at the torrent of words, logic, concepts and the like along the Steiner path, I do think I grok the underlying proposition that it is possible to systematically/scientifically/subjectively observe and evolve one's awareness in a more-and-more expanded, thoughtful and engaged first-person way.

I'd like to propose a very simple exercise: Go to some quiet, calm place (perhaps but not necessarily in nature); a scene generally free of disturbing distractions. Take a stroll allowing your thoughts to wander freely as they please and notice that some thoughts will make the entire scene around you vanish, while other thoughts may deepen or expand your view of the scene or even reveal new insights about it. Just notice thoughts as tools and observe what they do.

Now, repeat the stroll just repeating, "thank you" or "I'm grateful" or "I appreciate" and see/feel what happens with the scene around you. That's it. Nothing more. Just notice how your own thought tools function and allow your awareness to build.

Lou, that sounds like a great exercise. My only question is, why stop there? When you find a good tool which works, there is no reason to stop using it. Rather, it should be used deeply and often.

To begin with, the attention of the soul is directed to certain events in the world that surrounds us. Such events are, on the one hand, life that is budding, growing, and flourishing, and on the other hand, all phenomena connected with fading, decaying, and withering. The student can observe these events simultaneously, wherever he turns his eyes and on every occasion they naturally evoke in him feelings and thoughts; but in ordinary circumstances he does not devote himself sufficiently to them. He hurries on too quickly from impression to impression. It is necessary, therefore, that he should fix his attention intently and consciously upon these phenomena. Wherever he observes a definite kind of blooming and flourishing, he must banish everything else from his soul, and entirely surrender himself, for a short time, to this one impression. He will soon convince himself that a feeling which heretofore in a similar case, would merely have flitted through his soul, now swells out and assumes a powerful and energetic form. He must now allow this feeling to reverberate quietly within himself while keeping inwardly quite still. He must cut himself off from the outer world, and simply and solely follow what his soul tells him of this blossoming and flourishing.

Yet it must not be thought that much progress can be made if the senses are blunted to the world. First look at the things as keenly and as intently as you possibly can; then only let the feeling which expands to life, and the thought which arises in the soul, take possession of you. The point is that the attention should be directed with perfect inner balance upon both phenomena. If the necessary tranquility be attained and you surrender yourself to the feeling which expands to life in the soul, then, in due time, the following experience will ensue. Thoughts and feelings of a new kind and unknown before will be noticed uprising in the soul. Indeed, the more often the attention be fixed alternately upon something growing, blossoming and flourishing, and upon something else that is fading and decaying, the more vivid will these feelings become. And just as the eyes and ears of the physical body are built by natural forces out of living matter, so will the organs of clairvoyance build themselves out of the feelings and thoughts thus evoked. A quite definite form of feeling is connected with growth and expansion, and another equally definite with all that is fading and decaying. But this is only the case if the effort be made to cultivate these feelings in the way indicated. It is possible to describe approximately what these feelings are like. A full conception of them is within the reach of all who undergo these inner experiences.

[Lou Gold]

Lou, that sounds like a great exercise. My only question is, why stop there? When you find a good tool which works, there is no reason to stop using it. Rather, it should be used deeply and often.

Hey Ashvin,

I actually had no intention of suggesting any kind of "stopping". Perhaps, you got that from me saying, "Nothing more"? What I meant is that once you get into paying attention to your awareness, the process will build by itself. I suspect that we have an inborn curiosity that will naturally chase more of what's interesting. In my framing, that's the "child within" -- a kid that's endlessly curious and creative.

[Lou Gold]

To begin with, the attention of the soul is directed to certain events in the world that surrounds us. Such events are, on the one hand, life that is budding, growing, and flourishing, and on the other hand, all phenomena connected with fading, decaying, and withering. The student can observe these events simultaneously, wherever he turns his eyes and on every occasion they naturally evoke in him feelings and thoughts; but in ordinary circumstances he does not devote himself sufficiently to them. He hurries on too quickly from impression to impression. It is necessary, therefore, that he should fix his attention intently and consciously upon these phenomena. Wherever he observes a definite kind of blooming and flourishing, he must banish everything else from his soul, and entirely surrender himself, for a short time, to this one impression. He will soon convince himself that a feeling which heretofore in a similar case, would merely have flitted through his soul, now swells out and assumes a powerful and energetic form. He must now allow this feeling to reverberate quietly within himself while keeping inwardly quite still. He must cut himself off from the outer world, and simply and solely follow what his soul tells him of this blossoming and flourishing.

Yet it must not be thought that much progress can be made if the senses are blunted to the world. First look at the things as keenly and as intently as you possibly can; then only let the feeling which expands to life, and the thought which arises in the soul, take possession of you. The point is that the attention should be directed with perfect inner balance upon both phenomena. If the necessary tranquility be attained and you surrender yourself to the feeling which expands to life in the soul, then, in due time, the following experience will ensue. Thoughts and feelings of a new kind and unknown before will be noticed uprising in the soul. Indeed, the more often the attention be fixed alternately upon something growing, blossoming and flourishing, and upon something else that is fading and decaying, the more vivid will these feelings become. And just as the eyes and ears of the physical body are built by natural forces out of living matter, so will the organs of clairvoyance build themselves out of the feelings and thoughts thus evoked. A quite definite form of feeling is connected with growth and expansion, and another equally definite with all that is fading and decaying. But this is only the case if the effort be made to cultivate these feelings in the way indicated. It is possible to describe approximately what these feelings are like. A full conception of them is within the reach of all who undergo these inner experiences.

Yes, I agree with what Steiner says. I would want to add that a Buddhist monk would meditate on the charnel grounds in inclement weather as well as cherry blossoms on a lovely spring day and that this focus on awareness or what Steiner followers call thought is called "mindfulness." One should not confuse the emphasis on detachment as a retreat (although some make it that way). The detachment of one like Thich Nhat Hanh was full of activism and engagement. The mark of his detachment was clarity and humility. In a similar vein, in the Santo Daime tradition it is observed that, "Humility is the symbol of nobility." And, stripped of philosophy and verbiage, a Lakota elder would simply say, "A good day to die is a good day to live."

Much depends on mission, which accounts for a great variety of approaches, intents and purposes. Plant ecologist Monica Gagliano wanted to show that "brainless" plants hold memory, reason best behavior and hear sounds; that they are intelligent. Her research is starting to revolutionize the science of her field. Interestingly, her guidance comes from the plants themselves via a very disciplined and focused consultation use of ayahuasca.

Steiner, of course, attained incredible insights about the soul and disincarnate beings, as well offering approaches for incorporating his spiritual science with practical life. Waldorf schools are a popular alternative for the children of the modern mindful.

In my very incomplete rather naive intuitive ways, I continue to connect dots for the fun of it and offer grateful VIVAS to the Divine Integral Diversity and The Great Mysteriousness.

[Lou Gold]

I especially like this from Steiner. To me it seems quite like how an intuition often feels:

And just as the eyes and ears of the physical body are built by natural forces out of living matter, so will the organs of clairvoyance build themselves out of the feelings and thoughts thus evoked. A quite definite form of feeling is connected with growth and expansion, and another equally definite with all that is fading and decaying.

At other times, it just feels like being "in the zone".