By Roberto Assagioli and others. Excerpt from the book Creative Meditation.
Humanity today faces a new era and a new world order, and the questions that a thinking person must immediately ask themselves are: Which path should I follow in the future, and what can I do to ensure that it will be a period that will promote a better and more constructive content in life for myself and others?
The progress that humanity has made gradually over the ages has brought civilization to a stage where the complexity of life and the impact on sensitivity are close to reaching a culmination. Today, events in the most remote corners of the world affect everyone indirectly, either physically and economically or emotionally and mentally. Historically, humanity has always progressed through crises, but never before has the entire population of the world been so involved as now. Therefore, one stands at a special point in a long series of sufferings and triumphs of the human spirit, all of which tell the story of human history up to the present and which show that growth will continue. The development of humanity will never stagnate, and it has now entered a new age, in which old forms disappear and are replaced by new ones, as has happened many times before.
The next step is therefore to develop real thoughtfulness and a sense of responsibility. Today, two forces – materialism and spirituality – are facing each other. The 20th and 21st centuries will therefore be decisive for development, because today there is an influx of immensely powerful forces, and because conditions have been created in which a new spiritual development can have significance – with new rules for the soul.
A sense of responsibility is one of the characteristics that has grown up in our time, and people have begun to think about what they can contribute to the common good. Regardless of their beliefs, more and more people are gradually coming to the realization that the coming age depends on the efforts of the individual, and many are seeking methods and means to meet the challenge, but are discovering that it is the inner possibilities that must be focused on. They are discovering that through the faculty of thought they can gain power to work with more subtle inspirations and to use energies with far-reaching effects, and this discovery reveals that the inner creative and constructive power is far greater than assumed.
It also means that when everyone learns to control their thoughts instead of their thoughts controlling them, then they begin to truly and definitively create the world they want and need, and they take their place – wherever they are – among the constructive and committed people who are preparing the world for the new age.
Spiritual laws and principles
The new age and the new world order must be founded on spiritual laws and principles. For too long, down through the ages, but have struggled with one another and with themselves because they have not lived the divine laws and have not lived an orderly life in accordance with the principles of these laws, although they have been repeatedly made aware of them by God’s great lawmakers. Mankind must begin to live in harmony with the spiritual laws. Recognizing and accepting this is essential to establishing a proper balance in the human situation.
The spiritual laws and principles contain a guiding force that breaks down the complex and restless tendencies of man. These laws and principles, like paths through the jungle of life, help to find more clearly the straight path that will eventually lead to the open country of greater freedom, simplicity and truth. They show the way at all stages of development. Everyone knows that one cannot change the natural laws that protect and govern the physical plane (if one tries, the price will be high). In every laboratory of the world one discovers more and more the perfect balance with which the laws work, just as one begins to see the beauty of the pattern they reveal.
The course of evolution is governed by laws, and all peoples and races have always lived by laws that are appropriate to them. Among the best known are: the Ten Commandments that Moses brought down from the mountain, the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddha, and the law that Christ gave to the Christian era – the law of love for one’s neighbor. And when one seeks guidance today to found a new world order based on spiritual values, one discovers that although they can be formulated in many ways, they can be summarized in three laws and three principles that are universal and can be used as a platform for further work, regardless of conviction and denomination.
It is the following:
The law of right human relations. The principle of good will.
The law of group effort. The principle of consensus.
The law of spiritual rapprochement.
The principle of essential divinity.
The law of right human relations , the great factor in the creation of contacts, is being particularly emphasized today by those groups concerned with the well-being of men, with questions of world peace, and with the principle of good will , which develops a fundamental intention to will good. The importance of these two fundamental principles is already widely recognised, and efforts to implement them are considered of the utmost importance in the solution of problems, whether in family life or in the political, economic, and social spheres.
Relationships are a science that is still in its infancy, but if it is studied and recognized through psychology, the social sciences, and the many other branches of world work with which it is connected, the power of real relationships and goodwill is brought into a new perspective.
The law of group effort or of cooperation for the common good, and the principle of concord, the magnetizing force, develop some of the significant tendencies of the new age. Efforts to cooperate in groups and in communities are everywhere to be seen, and although the influence of this law and this principle is often distorted and results in external organization and enforced uniformity, at the same time there arises a resistance to the violation of the spiritual law of freedom. The esteem of the individual and his integration into the group has been accepted, and the desirable goal is now to have a fusion of these two values without emphasizing one more than the other. Increasingly, group members are held together by an inner common purpose and aspiration, rather than by externally imposed rules, and we can see them functioning in this way today in many areas with the strength of a freely accepted concord.
The law of spiritual rapprochement , which connects humans with the great “being,” and the principle of essential divinity , ie the spark of God within every human being, reveal that all are part of one life entity greater than themselves. This law and principle show that there is no real gulf between man and God, and they provide an understanding that one can discover this for oneself not only through religious insight, but also by gaining knowledge of one’s place in the “whole.”
In every scientific field, discoveries are being made daily that show humanity’s relationship to the one great life and to the interdependence of humans as parts of a whole—that is, the reality that encompasses everything and everyone. Among all the wonders that are revealed, there is nothing more amazing and inspiring than gaining insight into nature that is identical in the microcosm and the macrocosm and in the atoms and the stars.
These laws and principles form a fundamental key word for life in the new age. They set the tone for the highest possibilities, and when one will work with them, such conditions can be created on Earth that will enable humanity to build a new and better world in a serious way.
Creative thinking
How can one “work” with these laws and principles? This can be done in two ways – an external activity and an internal activity. The external activity is easy to understand, because it means that these laws and principles must be integrated into daily attitudes and activities and related to every situation. It also means that one must generally carry out one’s work in accordance with the wording of the laws, that knowledge must be given to the world that they act as essential foundations in daily life and that they will lead to peaceful relations.
Inner activity is more difficult to understand and therefore requires a more detailed explanation and study, but one will be able to grasp its meaning when one remembers that all people are constantly using their thoughts as an “inner activity”, even if they do not notice it, and that there are thoughts behind everything that people do: that is, the creation of attitudes, of relationships and of the entire human way of life. In the world of thought, everything that is practically expressed on Earth is born and begins. Everyday life is woven with the threads of thought as its basis, and this applies to the architect before the sketches are drawn, the manufacturer who assesses his markets and what can be produced, the researcher who seeks a new formula, as well as the world’s political leaders and the teacher in the small school.
In this way, the world of tomorrow is being born hour by hour, as thinkers are constantly creating the pattern for all that is to come. Each individual can also use creative thinking, and with its help one can build within oneself the future world structure and the outlook on life of the new age, which will be based on spiritual values and universal laws. For it is not only the thoughts of inventors, researchers and politicians that bring about the conditions and conditions that humanity will have tomorrow. Everyone can play a constructive role in this regard, if they choose to do so.
Thought is a creative instrument
The faculty of thought is a great creative instrument as well as a vital “activator.” It connects man with higher possibilities, and by means of it he is enabled to penetrate beyond the framework of present knowledge and thereby to bring into view the world of purpose and values. This makes it possible to gather the higher thoughts about the true, the good, and the necessary, and to bring them down to everyday cognition and to make them a part in the creation of the conditions of life.
Creative thinking is a specific step in the manifestation of ideas and higher concepts, and because thought is an energy, one can use its power to develop the qualities, attitudes, and states that one believes should exist. When one uses thinking consciously and creatively, one becomes able to make changes within oneself and in one’s life, and also to create changes in one’s surroundings and in the world.
But thoughts are mostly used unconsciously and haphazardly, and often they control man instead of being controlled by him, and this brings restlessness and depression, and one is swept away by the power of thought itself. When thoughts are used selfishly, they can even become destructive. Therefore, as soon as one gains insight into the subject of the power of thought, one must realize that it is a vital need to think correctly , to have the right motive behind thought, and to understand the subtle processes correctly. The faculty of thought will become increasingly predominant in the coming era. Psychology is already emphasizing the nature of thought and how it should be used, and as this knowledge becomes more widely known, it will become more and more necessary to learn how to think creatively in order to build with true vision the world that humanity desires.
Contact via prayer or intellect
Throughout history, prayer has served as a lifeline between the inner and outer worlds, creating a magnetic channel for the sustaining and helping force that humans have needed. But since prayer will always serve as a fundamental means of upward contact, the present-day development of the intellect in many also requires a more mental form of “inner activity”—for example, a form of meditation with a creative quality that is a positive and scientific method of working with the law.
Meditation is not an abstract activity, as it is often thought of in the outward-looking Western civilization, which emphasizes the tangible and the external and visible results. Meditation consists of concentration, reflection and understanding, as well as of a clear intuitive perception and formulation of ideas and thoughts, and then of a visualization of the ways and methods that can manifest them in the external. Meditation consists of both activity and service . The usual misleading view is that meditation and action are two different things. The correct view is that they constitute two different phases in a process: a conscious, purposeful activity, and a meditation that “builds without hands.”
The value of group meditation should also be noted. While the individual meditating alone may often feel ineffective and consequently discouraged, many people meditating on the same theme can multiply the power of each individual because of the additional factor of common intention and united effort. An interaction of mental energy is thus established, and the strength is concentrated in the united effort to which each individual contributes—a strength that is noticeable to all in the subjective group.
The thinking person
Inner activity
Humans are constantly creating through thought, whether they know it or not, and before beginning to study meditation, it is important to understand that emotions and thoughts are constantly filling the inner world with “thought forms.” A thought is shaped by the faculty of thought, and it is often created by emotions. It has a relatively fixed form in the subtle realms of the world of thought, and its strength, quality, and duration depend on how it is created and animated.
One of the causes of the current unrest in the world is the myriad of negative, conflict-creating and destructive thought forms with which humanity fills the inner world. The increasing mental activity, when the average person begins to use the ability to think more, is of course progress, but temporarily it creates a worse situation than before. Therefore, it is first and foremost mandatory to learn to control thinking and to think constructively instead of increasing the restless and destructive thought forms.
Training the thinking ability
The world of thought is a relatively unknown area, but today everyone is rapidly entering this dimension, and the adventurous thinking that begins to move around there is discovering the possibilities in this area. All this shows that there is a good basis for meditation, and it suggests that meditation is a technique for training the mind, as well as a method for gaining knowledge of humanity’s heritage in the inner worlds.
Most people have only a vague idea of what meditation really is, and it will therefore be illustrated how it is done, how it works, what it can achieve, and what benefits it can have. Such an understanding is fundamental to being able to use meditation in connection with the laws and principles of the new age.
Invisible energy
Thoughts consist of invisible energy which possesses real power, and by the aid of meditation it can be focused to build, nourish and maintain an idea, a quality and a rule or law of life. In other words, meditation is an inner activity – an activity in the inner worlds. There are many types of inner activity . All thinking, hoping, imagining, aspiring and desiring are such types, but usually they are created without conscious purpose and without a sense of responsibility. Meditation, on the other hand, is a conscious and deliberate use of thought to accomplish a special purpose.
Every human activity in the external world is the result of an internal activity. Too often it is desire and uncontrolled thoughts that are the driving force, and this can create all kinds of difficulties and even have harmful consequences both for the individual and for humanity in general. Therefore, it is important to become a master of one’s own inner self and create only that in this subjective world that one believes is right and constructive, so that in this way one can contribute to the common good on the internal levels to the same extent as it happens in the external world.
Outside influence
First one must learn to do this in one’s own area of the inner world, that is, the area for which one is responsible, and then one can begin to contribute to that area of the inner life which one shares with humanity. In this connection it must be emphasized that influences can occur from individuals and from the masses, and therefore it must be understood that just as one is constantly creating thought forms, whether one is aware of it or not, so one is also susceptible to inspiration in varying degrees. This is another reason why it is not advisable to be negative and powerless on the inner levels and why one should develop a positive inner life.
One need only think of the “clever” techniques used in advertising—the “covert persuasions”—to see what a large part psychological influence plays in life today. Those who work in the business world and with materialistic interests are much more familiar with psychological influences and are more adept at using them than people in the more spiritual fields, and this is a situation that should be changed. All who truly care about humanity and are spiritually oriented should be at least as determined and as adept as the successful businessman in handling and using thought, imagination, motivation, and emotion.
Thought control
Everyone is thus presented with a challenge and a useful area that is within reach regardless of the external situation. Constructive thinking is something that everyone can practice in any free moment, wherever they may be. Of course, real meditation requires solitude and quiet in the first place, but devoting a few minutes to constructive thinking is a good exercise in learning to control the thoughts. Before long, you will discover that you can do it in places that may seem completely unfavorable, on the train and when waiting, and even while doing the simplest things such as household chores.
Quite often you do two or three things at the same time without thinking about it, but most of the time you are just daydreaming or letting your thoughts wander uselessly, perhaps regretting past actions, fearing the future, or not thinking properly at all. Instead, you should keep your thoughts in a concentrated and constructive state, and after some practice it is not so difficult.
The time factor
In this connection the time factor should be mentioned. It is a problem which everyone faces sooner or later. Most people feel that they have so much to do and that their lives are so complicated that they have so little privacy, and that the demands of work and family leave so little leisure and energy that they cannot undertake a meditation work. These difficulties are real enough. The whole organization and planning of modern life takes no account at all of the right to have an inner life, and the whole trend is now against it. But in spite of these great problems, when one feels the value of an inner life strongly enough and really wants to set aside some time for it, one will usually be able to find a break during the day for at least a short meditation. Ten or fifteen minutes is not very long and should be able to be squeezed into a 24-hour program.
The importance of meditation rhythm
It is clear, however, that it is almost impossible to find ideal conditions for this in modern life, and every quiet moment that can be found during the day is like an oasis that should be taken advantage of. A good rhythm to establish is to meditate in the same place every morning first thing before starting the day’s work. Regularity is very valuable, but one should not become completely dependent on a particular rhythm, because even if it becomes more difficult and takes longer to adapt to the inner work, it is better to learn how to become completely independent of the surroundings. Everyone has their own problems in this regard, and each one must solve them in the best way possible.
There is a greater value in the inner activity of meditation which is not generally recognized. Meditation is redemptive , both in its nature and in its effect. In one’s own psychic sphere and in an ever-widening circle, if one meditates with others, the obscure psychic sphere in which one lives becomes clearer, thereby transforming it, showing that meditation is a particularly good method which can work in conjunction with the redemptive forces. Most people have too abstract a concept of redemption and tend to think that it is something which only enlightened souls can practice, but in reality it can and should become a continuous commitment for all.
The life of thought is a reality, therefore its effectiveness and its potential creativity cannot be overemphasized, and the understanding of the value of thought reveals that each of us has a part to play. It shows that we possess a power of which we have not been aware and therefore have not been properly used. If we choose to do so, we can practically help to establish the laws and principles of the new age.
The meditation process
The words “conquest of inner space” perfectly describe what one strives to achieve through meditation – to explore inner worlds and to use thinking to conquer new dimensions.
The first thing to recognize is that there are inner worlds, and that one lives in them all the time with one’s feelings and mental aspects in one’s character. The psychic life has a tangible existence in these worlds of energies and qualities, and one should not think of them as entirely subjective, abstract, and formless, as they are commonly—and erroneously—considered.
The inner worlds, where the psychic part of man has its life, are the worlds of cause and meaning, and they are in reality more real than the so-called visible worlds, for the inner ones are more active and effective. Everything that later manifests in the outer visible world has its origin in these areas, and everything that goes on around us is an outward expression of the activity and interaction of energies in the inner areas. Modern physicists have shown that the nature of the material world is entirely different from what the senses can perceive. The attitude that there are inner worlds behind the outer tangible aspects gives a picture of the whole pattern of life and brings new understanding.
Like a space trip
You can get a good idea of the different types of activity and the different stages that you work with in meditation – in the exploration of the inner worlds – when you imagine that a rocket sent into space changes course and returns to Earth. A similar process takes place in the meditation process.
The first stage is projection . The energy used to propel a rocket and which can force it upwards overcomes the law of gravity. In the same way one can force one’s centre of consciousness upwards to the inner worlds. By means of the sphere of feeling and imagination one can penetrate into the world of thought and still further to the spiritual levels. The propulsive energy consists of aspiration, which has been aptly termed “burning aspiration”, and it is controlled by the meditator, who in reality controls the whole process of meditation by the power of will, which has been recognized only to a lesser extent in the West.
The second stage of the rocket is that it reaches an area that has a different kind of gravity and a different center of attraction. This is similar to when in meditation one comes into contact with a higher area of consciousness, i.e. an area of thinking, or a specific region of the inner worlds.
The next stage is a delicate balancing of the downward pull of the Earth and the upward pull of the other center. If this balance is achieved in the right way, the inherent drive of the energy still present in the rocket will enable it to revolve around the new center and maintain it in orbit. The same applies to the consciousness of the individual human being as it penetrates to the higher, inner levels.
The consciousness must reach the region to which it is directed, but it must retain its freedom and not become a prisoner of the region. It must remain in that region only as long as is necessary for its purpose, which is to examine and record what it can gather in the center with which it has been connected, or in the region of thought to which it has reached. Then the meditation should be brought to a harmonious conclusion. The information received from the instruments of the rocket corresponds to the recording and correct interpretation of the ideas found in the higher regions, and all this must be applied and integrated into existing knowledge and experience, as well as the information gained through the rocket.
There is another point in this analogy, and that is that the rocket must be controlled right from the moment of launch on Earth and throughout its entire journey. So it is with meditation, one must never lose conscious control. The possibility of falling into a trance-like state is absolutely possible – too intensive a projection is wrong and dangerous. Meditation must always be a conscious process, where one must be completely present at all times, and with this knowledge one must – wherever one is – control the entire process, observe it, control it and regulate its spread and duration.
Preparation leading to coordination
Whether meditation is successful depends on proper and careful preparation. First of all, one should choose as quiet a place as possible – at least until one is accustomed to meditating – where one will not be disturbed. One should sit comfortably. While it has been advantageous for people of the East to sit with crossed legs in order to keep the back straight, it is a difficult position for people of the West who are not accustomed to sitting in this way, and it is not necessary. An effective preparation for the meditation to be performed is to read or study something related to the subject of meditation. There should be time for this, especially to facilitate the adjustment of the thoughts.
Next, one should try to eliminate all physical, emotional, and mental tension, because such tension requires completely useless energy from both nerves and muscles. Being able to relax is an art that must be practiced, because it is not as easy as it may seem at first glance. When one tries to relax, there may be a tendency to fall into the opposite ditch – a state of passivity that ends in drowsiness. The goal is to eliminate all unnecessary tension and maintain the nervous system and muscles in such an active state that is necessary to be awake and have attention directed to what one is doing.
Breathing
The various relaxation exercises will not be described here, but there are many books which fully describe the various aspects of this subject. One of the most effective ways of relaxation is found in slow and rhythmic breathing. But breathing exercises should be done with caution, for they can be harmful if done too strenuously. A suitable exercise consists of a deep breath with short pauses between inhalation and exhalation. This should be done rhythmically and slowly ten times. There should be no feeling of tension, either during inhalation or exhalation or during the pause – a steady rhythm rather than for a long time is the aim. The respiratory muscles should be relaxed during exhalation. This “given release” of tension can spread to all the other muscles of the physical body, thereby achieving general relaxation.
Physical and mental relaxation
Physical relaxation is a preliminary and necessary step to a more significant step, which is mental relaxation. Mental relaxation includes emotional and mental relaxation, which must be achieved in two specific phases, corresponding to the two different levels of the inner worlds in which the meditator must work – the emotional and the mental. Each must be treated separately and in its own way.
When one has achieved physical relaxation and begins to observe oneself mentally, one will usually find that various emotions come and go. These emotions must be stilled. It is not good to suppress them by force, but simply observing them in a calm way “from above” without identifying with them forces them to gradually loosen their grip and their intensity, so that they cease to be a nuisance and calm down – if not completely, then at least to a degree that they no longer act as serious obstacles, and that is good in itself.
This forms the first part of psychic relaxation. The second part is mental relaxation. By nature the mind is restless and in constant activity, and this is increased by the rapid pace of time and also by emotional stimulation. When one can exclude the activities of ordinary life for a moment and is able to subdue the emotions, it will not be nearly so difficult to overcome the natural restlessness of thought.
This cannot be fully accomplished in the preparatory stages, but it will be the main task of the first part of the actual meditation, which is concentration. In the preparatory stage, it is sufficient to some extent to avoid identifying with the activity of thoughts and to resist being led around in this way, and to know that this activity does not concern the soul, which can be called “the observer”. Concentration forms what can be considered a platform, and from it one can proceed to the actual meditation. Here too, the aim is not to suppress anything by force or by an effort, which would immediately bring tension and therefore hinder the aim of the meditation. The method to be used is rather to reject the stray thoughts or ideas and avoid strengthening them. They will then not interfere much with the inner activity of the meditation. This preparation can be described as creating space in and around the center of consciousness for the subsequent concentration exercises, without attempting to prepare the whole area completely at this stage.
Concentration
The first thing to know when addressing the subject of concentration is that there is a difference between spontaneous, automatic concentration and deliberate, controlled concentration. The difference lies in the quality of the two forms of concentration and in the way they are used. Spontaneous concentration is when the thoughts are activated by the impulse of strong interests, desires or emotions, so that the concentration is maintained in one particular direction. A typical example is a manager who plans the work of an organization with a view to its success. Another example is a student who concentrates on the topics of a subject just before an exam.
Those who can concentrate effectively in this way do so in most cases under the illusion that their concentration is good. Of course, it may be so to some extent, but the ability to hold one’s mind on a particular task or subject when the impulse is due to intense interest, need, desire, or fear does not necessarily mean that retention can be maintained if this kind of motivation is lacking.
The fact is that when you try to concentrate on an abstract subject or on something that does not involve personal interests or benefits, concentration is much more difficult to maintain, and you often discover that you actually have no real control over your thoughts.
This discovery may seem disillusioning, but it is beneficial. It shows the extent to which one is a prey to what motivates, and that one is thereby in a certain sense negative, despite the fact that one may outwardly appear positive and active. It is a sign that the emotions, the urges and the thoughts work in an almost dramatic way, and that they act as powerful forces in life. In other words, they are the ones who influence, and one is not the factor that selects, directs and controls.
This is one of the reasons why the more intellectual and spiritual interests have no motivating power as personal interest for the average man, but it is also because there is a special difference in the way these interests are expressed. Abstract subjects are “thinner” and therefore more elusive to concentrate on and hold. The mind, not accustomed to working in this subtle and more difficult way, takes a reluctant attitude and turns away. It is a new form of activity, and generally every new subject and new field of knowledge creates difficulties at first. The mind does not like to do its work in new areas. In the areas with which it is familiar, a great deal of work has already been done previously, so that there is a basis and connections that facilitate the work. A new subject requires much greater concentration and effort.
This explains why so many people refuse to accept new ideas and to change their goals and interests. They dislike the new and even fear it, and as a result they refuse. A funny example of this, which now seems quite incredible, is the statement in 1884 by a prominent French astronomer that there was nothing more to discover in astronomy.
Man is not his thoughts.
The realization that one is not master of one’s thoughts may come as a surprise, but if one is surprised, it is a good thing, for it will encourage one to make an effort to gain control of one’s thoughts, and it will help to provide the motivation and emotional drive that were previously lacking. Another significant result of these discoveries about human nature is the knowledge that one is not identical with one’s thoughts and feelings.
The unsuccessful attempt to keep the mind active has shown that there is a conflict, and that means that there is a discrepancy between two factors. The knowledge of this conflict is valuable, as it throws light on the difference between the soul with its own will, and the thinking faculty which is often uncontrollable and reluctant or sluggish, and which has, in a way, a life of its own.
The will as a tool
These preparatory and vital realizations lay the foundation for the task of learning to concentrate thought by the will . They also provide an understanding of ourselves, and they provide the encouragement needed to master that precious instrument, the faculty of thought, which is such an excellent servant when mastered, but which presents great difficulties when it goes its own way.
The technique to be used to gain control of thought and willful concentration is the opposite of that most often used in teaching, where the aim is to arouse the student’s interest. This makes the acquisition of knowledge easier, but it does not lead to real control and management of the thoughts. In order to achieve deliberate concentration on difficult and abstract subjects, one must first use a technique in which the concentration is on simple and neutral subjects that have no interest at all. In this way one can learn to keep the thoughts stable without the help of personal interests and desires.
Attention
There are many types of such concentration exercises that can be practiced. Visual observation is a simple exercise, and therefore a good one to start with. It is an exercise in attention , not in thought processes, and it develops an elementary ability to focus attention, which is the first step in the more difficult and complicated meditation processes with abstract subjects.
A supplementary exercise in visual observation that can be used when there is time and desire is to observe many things quickly and accurately. For example, you can observe everything in a living room for half a minute and then write everything down in as much detail as possible. The same exercise can be done by observing things in a shop window or by seeing all the details in a painting. The last example provides a good opportunity to assess how much progress you have made with this ability, because if you use a suitable painting, you can constantly check your progress by keeping some kind of statistics.
The goal is concentration
Such exercises also show that the ability to observe varies greatly according to the different psychological types. A large number of people find this form of exercise relatively easy because they are interested in the external world, and therefore they normally observe everything around them. For these people such exercises are superfluous. But they are extremely useful for those people who wish to live on the inner and more abstract levels of life, and whose interest is mainly centered in emotional, imaginative, and purely mental areas.
The exercises train these people to both observe and concentrate on what does not interest them, and this contributes to developing this relatively undeveloped side of their nature. The goal is that one – regardless of interests – should be able to concentrate willfully on any level of life and on all special things and subjects.
Exercises in observing external things serve as a preparation for concentration on internal subjects—on internal images or conceptions. An exercise which creates a transition between the two is to observe a picture for twenty or thirty seconds and then close your eyes and try to hold the sight of the picture in the “mind’s eye” or “inner eye.” Everyone possesses this faculty of imagination, for everyone is able to picture things, faces, and so on, which are familiar to them. This faculty is more developed and vivid in some people than in others, but the present object is not so much whether it is vivid, which is important, as to the ability to hold the picture steadily before the mind’s eye and to be able to concentrate the attention on it. Looking at a painting for a while helps greatly to obtain a clear picture and to hold it.
Another exercise of this type is to create an image and hold it for a short time without having seen it immediately before. You can start with something familiar, such as a building you see every day, a view you know, or a family member. The image should be an exact copy with special concentration on details, and then it should be held for a certain time.
Here begins the real struggle—an interesting but sometimes bitter contest—between the will to hold the image and the mobility of the imagination, accustomed to moving from one thing to another in rapid and often chaotic succession. It will use all sorts of tricks. It will distort the image, expand it, add some extraneous elements, divide it into two or more parts, replace it with another, in other words, do everything possible except let the image stand still before the mind’s eye. This fact is surprising, but again revealing. Once again one has incontrovertible proof that one cannot control one’s mechanism, and that there is a conflict between it and oneself. It is here that the process of self-will really begins, as far as the control, direction, and application—willing—of the whole mechanism are concerned.
Good concentration exercise
A particularly good exercise in concentration can be found in Ernest Wood’s book Concentration :
In this diagram, he places “Right Human Relations” in the center, and in a circle this quality is surrounded by the qualities: “Harmlessness”, “Love in Practice”, “Equality”, “Tolerance”, “Humility”, “Goodwill”, “Cooperation between Nations” and “Understanding in the Family” . From “Right Human Relations” in the center, he drew arrows to the qualities in the surrounding circle, and he encourages you to try to add other arrows and qualities so that the number of arrows becomes 100 in total.
You can add some personal and concrete ideas, such as telling employees that you appreciate what they have accomplished, that you are returning a library book that you have had for too long, that you will resolve a disagreement with an acquaintance, that you will drive carefully in your car, that you will show patience with people who work at a different pace than you do.
Don’t spend time thinking about “good will,” “equality,” “cooperation,” etc. Just notice them and write them down, and then let your attention drift back to “right human relations.” Don’t let the thought bounce back, but let it drift back. Then ask yourself, “What’s next?” while looking at the “right human relations” column. Write down all the ideas that come to you. When you have had a few ideas and written them down, you will find that your mind is empty and has nothing more to give, but still maintain your concentration for a while and wait for more ideas to come.
This exercise can be included in the suggested meditation in this instruction. It is not only an aid to achieving concentration, it also points to a method for reflecting on the theme.
Patience and repetition
The key to developing the power of concentration is, as with all other skills, constant patience and constant repetition in practice. And here it may be mentioned that the process of creating a mental or inner picture has a value beyond that of developing the power of concentration. Pictures have a power in themselves which one can use consciously or unconsciously. But the subject of the use of visualization will be studied later in the instruction, for visualization is of great importance in meditation techniques. At present visualization is used merely as a phase in concentration.
In addition to these specific exercises, there are ample opportunities in everyday life to practice concentration. It simply means to be fully aware of the problem or question at hand without letting the mind wander. Habitual actions are often carried out in a more or less dreamlike manner, with wandering thoughts of extraneous things passing through the mind. This can create a passive state unrelated to thinking, and this state can grow to problematic proportions and is in every way a waste of energy. Later one must learn to do two things at the same time, which means being conscious and active on two different levels at the same time, but that is something entirely different. In the latter case one is consciously awake and active on both levels, whereas in the former case there is a more or less automatic continuity of a physical activity, in which the imagination wanders about without control and without being in accordance with one’s will.
The ability to live in the present
When one looks at concentration from this more profound point of view, one might say that many people seem to be barely living in the present. Most of their interests and their psychological life and most of their attention are directed either toward the past or toward the future, and they are either remembering or regretting things that have happened, or worrying about things that may happen in the future. This is an unhealthy condition that should be changed. In summary, concentration means the ability to live in the present in general and to live specifically in the particular period of the present and in the area where the immediate task lies.
Stream of thought
There is a higher and more significant form of concentration than the types discussed so far in this book. It is the form used by the observer or inner observer who, in perfect concentration, observes the psychological life as a flowing panorama—William James calls it a “stream of thought”—and who in an engaged manner watches it, strengthens it, and when necessary penetrates it to change it. This inner attitude is certainly not easy to maintain consistently. When one is “on the banks” of the stream of thought, its eddies tend to attract and carry the meditator with the current. Attention is easily caught by a wave of emotion, by an interesting idea, or by an inspiring initiative, and one must constantly draw the attention back to one’s center of concentration, to the soul, that part of man which endures eternally and which does not change in any of the varying psychological currents.
Extremes
The engagement of the first two months in this preparatory work of concentration creates the necessary foundation for future effective meditation. Two extremes should be avoided. One is to carry out these apparently uninteresting exercises in a more or less superficial manner, or as a kind of routine – that will not be thorough enough for the purpose. The other extreme that should be avoided is to work too eagerly or too tensely with them. There should be no kind of tension associated with this work. Nor should one attempt to carry out these exercises when one feels tired, for then there is a high probability that the result will not be successful, and any progress will be at the expense of too much tension.
Furthermore, it should be emphasized that one should not become discouraged when one does not succeed in working with the exercises, especially when one does not succeed in maintaining concentration for a certain period of time. In the beginning, it is excellent if one can achieve true concentration for ten seconds, and later for twenty seconds. A minute or two is a very long time. Therefore, it is better to repeat short exercises that are successful than to force attempts to maintain attention for a longer period.
Patience and trust
Finally, there are two useful attitudes that each observer should try to maintain during all the experiments and exercises. The first is to have patience with oneself, or more precisely with one’s mechanism – this is the same attitude that one would adopt towards an unruly child whose cooperation one hopes to get at the end. The second attitude is faith that persistence will yield a good result. The following words by Hermann Keyserling – from his Travel Diary of a Philosopher – will strengthen and emphasize faith in the value of what one is trying to achieve:
“The power of concentration is undoubtedly an important driving force of the whole psychic mechanism. Nothing increases our power of performance more than the application of it. Every favorable result, in whatever field, can be traced back to an intelligent exploration of this faculty. No obstacle can ever resist the exceptional power of deep concentration. Attention sooner or later forces every problem to reveal all its aspects, which it is possible to perceive for a special character.”
Concentration and right relationships
The concentration required for effective meditation will of course be necessary in working with any law and principle, but one has a special opportunity for continuous practice in connection with the law of right human relations, for this law is woven into all parts of daily life. It is the basis of all cooperation and constructive interaction and is a necessary part of all attitudes. Therefore, the practice of thought control throughout the day, as suggested, can be very well linked with the cultivation of right relations. This can be done not only directly with everyone one meets, but also with everyone one comes into contact with through correspondence, telephone, e-mail, and even through thinking. Nor should one forget the need for right relations within oneself —between feeling and thinking, and between these two and the observer or receiver.
Exercises of this type are more valuable than they first appear, and they can be used for various purposes, which will be described in later instructions. They not only condition the general attitude during the day, they actually build up a pattern of thought, so that thoughts can pass much more easily during the course of the day. It may be added that such exercises are an aid in establishing the necessary vibration—it is like tuning an instrument to transmit on a certain wavelength—and if the exercises are carefully carried out, the effect is very valuable.
Daily exercise
In the morning, before the day’s activities and meetings begin, you might want to concentrate on and “anticipate” or visualize all the possible types of relationships you have with other people. Imagine meeting them in a good way, seeing them as real relationships, and if some of these contacts tend to become difficult, either because you don’t like them or because there are differences of opinion, then strive to solve the problem of aversion to them or criticism from them by applying the law of real human relationships. Imagine this law working through every contact and event during the day and establish a pattern of real relationships in every aspect of your life.
The Law of Right Human Relations
Humans have billions of neighbors – not neighbors who live side by side on the same street, but fellow human beings who have come into contact with each other through the technology developed in our time. This is how they can be perceived as real “neighbors.”
This means that real human relations will be of great importance in the new age that humanity is now entering, but there is another factor – the increasing possibility of rapid contact has only been present for a very short period compared with the long periods of earlier times when life developed only with gradual changes. Suddenly the long distances between people have become shorter, events on the other side of the Earth can be seen and heard about immediately, and habits have developed that create economic dependence on people in almost every country, and all this has necessitated a process of adaptation. Although people may not be aware of it themselves, people are forced to change their attitudes, to think in new ways and to expand their knowledge as quickly as consciousness can keep up with the progress of civilization, and all this is a considerable demand on human nature.
Each one is part of a whole
At the same time, it must be recognized that these external circumstances merely force humanity to accept the relationships that are its true heritage as humans. These relationships create the basis of existence. They are not merely models of harmonious living or a necessity for survival, they are a fact of nature’s order . All humans are inextricably linked to one another, and all are growing up at the same time in the great drama of life unfolding on Earth. All are in constant contact with one another, not only socially on the physical plane, but also through tendencies in thought and emotion. All are parts of a unity, just as the cells in the physical bodies are parts of man—everyone is a unit, but everyone is also each part of a larger form. The individual human being is a member of a family, he is a resident of a city, he belongs to a nation, and—according to the same natural law—all are units in the unity that is humanity.
When these facts are studied, one is enabled to see the comprehensive perspective in which the law of right human relations has its place and function. This law is not a law that applies only to the contact of the individual with others, it also acts as a fundamental rule for the entire living organism, and its scope is the entire area in which humans live, that is, the outer physical manifestations and the inner feelings, attitudes, and thinking.
The right inner attitude
There is a need for the study of right human relations to be brought into play by various new points of view. Responsibility, understanding, compassion, love, and harmlessness are all links in the chain of right relationships to be forged in the heart. And the fundamental problem is to create the right attitude within oneself , because it will release a stream of right relationships that will break down the obstacles and open up ways to enrich the lives of others.
One experiments daily with the science of real relationships, although it often happens blindly and unconsciously. Through the necessary cooperation in everyday life, through the way one organizes life and contacts, one practically experiments with the different aspects, degrees and types of relationship and learns from them. In addition, one constantly builds all this on the inner planes with one’s thinking and feelings.
Thoughts of great thinkers
There have been many exponents of right human relations down through the ages. Many great thinkers have analyzed this law, and all who have worked for the liberation of man, for free and right relations with others, have contributed to bringing order to the contradictory and confusing relations which have often resulted from the various stages through which the present civilization and culture have passed.
It is an encouraging thought that all are one human family, but although this realization has been checked by a necessary growth of individuality and self-consciousness, humanity has now reached a point where a delicate balance between individuality and unity can begin to become a reality. The law of right human relations is about intelligent participation in this unity. Mindless acceptance and the ancient “herd instinct” are not part of the attitudes of the new age. It is as evolved individuals that one will in the future try to fit the little personal unit rightly into the puzzle that life is for the one humanity, and it is intelligent cooperation with this law of right human relations that is required of those who wish to help establish the new age.
How to move forward
Here you can receive seven free meditations where you develop different aspects of yourself.
Also read the article Psychosynthesis an Integral Psychology and the biography of Roberto Assagioli
Read the introductory article about energy psychology
Read the introductory article about integral meditation
