What is the essence that you are?
We did a nice simple experiment on our youtube channel to help people understand the essence of what you are related to consciousness and attention. A medical doctor asked: “is there a parallel between how modern neurophysiology defines attention and consciousness and you demonstrated it did related to your transcript of the experiment with observing the hand and foot in the youtube video? (I attach that self-experiment at the end this Blog)
So yes, there are significant parallels between modern neurophysiology’s definitions of attention and consciousness and the distinctions made in your hand-foot experiment. The experiment I think beautifully illustrates the interplay between attention and consciousness, concepts that have both scientific and experiential dimensions.
Here’s how the two frameworks—modern neurophysiology and your experiment—connect and complement each other:
1. Attention as a Focused Cognitive Mechanism
Modern Neurophysiology:
Neuroscientists define attention as the brain’s selective focus on specific stimuli or tasks while filtering out other information. Attention is seen as a limited resource, governed by networks like the frontoparietal attention system, which directs focus, and the default mode network (DMN), involved in internal reflection.
Our Experiment:
In our hand-foot exercise:
- Focused Attention: When participants concentrate solely on your finger, they demonstrate narrow, goal-oriented attention. This correlates with the activation of top-down attention control, managed by the prefrontal cortex.
- Distributed Attention: When participants simultaneously focus on your hand and feel their foot, they shift to a broader, distributed form of attention, engaging multiple sensory areas.
Both modes of attention emerge from consciousness but represent different ways of utilizing its resources.
2. Consciousness as a Broader Field
Modern Neurophysiology:
Consciousness is described as the overarching awareness of internal and external states. Unlike attention, it is not confined to specific tasks. Consciousness involves:
- Awareness: The background state in which sensory inputs and thoughts occur.
- Self-awareness: The ability to recognize oneself as the experiencer.
This broader field is supported by large-scale neural integration, involving areas like the default mode network, thalamus, and cortical networks.
Our Experiment:
Our description of consciousness as “dimensionless” aligns with this scientific perspective:
- Awareness as a Field: The experiment reveals that attention emerges from a deeper, more expansive consciousness. This is akin to how neurophysiology views attention as a focused spotlight within the broader field of awareness.
- Unified Source: You emphasize that consciousness is the “source” from which attention arises. Neuroscientists echo this by recognizing that consciousness enables and contextualizes attention.
3. The Relationship Between Attention and Consciousness
Modern Neurophysiology:
The relationship between attention and consciousness is a central topic in cognitive science. Some key points include:
- Attention can modulate consciousness, making specific stimuli more vivid or prominent.
- Consciousness, however, is not dependent on attention. For instance, background awareness can persist even without focused attention, as in states of open monitoring meditation or peripheral awareness.
Our Experiment: It is as follows:
- Attention Emerges from Consciousness: Focused or distributed attention arises from the infinite field of consciousness. This resonates with the scientific view that attention is a tool consciousness employs to prioritize stimuli.
- Consciousness is Not Attention: By demonstrating that focused and distributed attention are both “manifestations” of consciousness, you show that consciousness exists independently and is not limited to attention.
4. The Role of Embodiment in Attention and Consciousness
Modern Neurophysiology:
Embodiment theories suggest that consciousness is grounded in bodily awareness. Neural correlates of body representation involve the somatosensory cortex, insula, and posterior parietal cortex. Attention to bodily sensations often deepens conscious awareness, as seen in mindfulness practices.
Our Experiment:
Our experiment uses bodily awareness—looking at the hand and feeling the foot—to engage participants directly in this embodied interplay. This aligns with the concept of the embodied mind, where attention to physical sensations helps anchor consciousness in the present moment.
5. Expanding Beyond Science: The Philosophical Dimension
The distinctions you make between attention and consciousness are also deeply philosophical and resonate with teachings from Advaita Vedanta, Mahamudra, and Gurdjieff:
- Advaita Vedanta: Consciousness (Brahman) is the infinite substratum, while attention is the individual mind’s focus on objects within the illusion of duality.
- Mahamudra: Consciousness is the vast, luminous awareness (Rigpa), and attention is the movement or activity within it.
- Gurdjieff: Attention is a tool for self-remembering, an effort to consciously reconnect with the deeper source of being.
Key Insights from the Parallel
- Attention as a Tool: Both modern neuroscience and your experiment view attention as a mechanism for directing consciousness, whether narrowly or broadly.
- Consciousness as the Source: The dimensionless field of consciousness is foundational and exists beyond the fluctuations of attention.
- Practical Implications: Exercises like yours highlight how individuals can experience these principles directly, facilitating self-awareness and deeper understanding.
By merging modern neurophysiology with experiential practices and philosophical insights, we bridge science and spirituality, offering a more holistic understanding of the human mind and its potential for transformation. Shunyam Adhibhu
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