‘Information consumes attention, hence a wealth of information causes a poverty of attention.’
Do you ever sit down to write, but instead find yourself browsing news sites and social media in a state of perpetual distraction?
What do you aspire to achieve with your writing, and how do you harness the lens of attention to bring about those outcomes?
How can your conscious mind shape and refine the powers of your subconscious?
In a ninety-minute lecture, author and psychologist Daniel Goleman dissects the scarcity of human attention, and outlines an array of techniques to focus – not only on your writing, but also your approach to life.
Peoples’ brains are changing because of too much internet and unhealthy distractions, and this also causes people to lose empathy. British neurooscientist Susan Greenfield has spoken widely on this and is conducting research into the link between creativity and spirituality. Mirror neuron research also expands on this. Face to face eye contact fosters empathy and creativity. Lack of it, can lead to depression and aggression, or being stuck in indifference.
Following on from this, in regard to creativity, especially writing, the best way to focus is to meditate, then allow for healthy mind wandering in a calm harmonious environment, all the while letting go of self and ego. This leads to a capacity to focus. Then start with free writing – associating ideas and thoughts – this can flow because you’ve cleared your mind with meditation. Then you can do the actual writing. This I’ve found is the best way to focus, but you need to divulge yourself of distractions first: phones off etc.; an harmonious environment and getting out emotional frustrations prior to sitting down to write – this is what helps inner and outer harmony.