1. The Stages of the Journey From Thoughts to Attention to Freedom

2. The ‘ego’

3. The ‘self’

4. The role of meditation Meditation creates awareness that we are more than our surface self. We discover that “The Kingdom of God”, the ‘spark of the soul’, the ‘Christ consciousness’, the ‘true self’ lives within us. We remember that we are“children of God”, (2 Cor 7) that we are “the temple of the Holy Spirit”, (1 Cor 3)and that “the consciousness that was in Christ is also in us”.

5. “Meditation is a way of breaking through from a world of illusion into the pure light of reality.” (John Main) “Meditation is a way of breaking through from a world of illusion into the pure light of reality.” (John Main) “All the while the soul dwells in this corruptible body, the clarity of our spiritual understanding, especially of God is touched with some sort of distortion.” (Cloud of Unknowing)

6. “If we cleanse the doors of perception we will see reality as it is, infinite! (William Blake)

7. Perception

8. The Brain

9. Brain and Attention Increased activity in attention cells of pre-frontal cortex Increased activity in attention cells of pre-frontal cortex Decreased activity in thought cells of pre-frontal cortex. As a consequence decrease in ‘beta waves’ – our thinking waves. Decreased activity in thought cells of pre-frontal cortex. As a consequence decrease in ‘beta waves’ – our thinking waves. Deeper attention -‘Flight or fight’ changes to ‘relaxation response’ – more ‘alpha and theta’ relaxation waves Deeper attention -‘Flight or fight’ changes to ‘relaxation response’ – more ‘alpha and theta’ relaxation waves Even deeper attention: decreased activity in the parietal lobe – lessening of orientation in time and space and self/non-self boundary. Even deeper attention: decreased activity in the parietal lobe – lessening of orientation in time and space and self/non-self boundary.

10. Effect of attention on body and mind Lowers breathing rate Lowers breathing rate Lowers blood pressure Lowers blood pressure Lowers heart rate Lowers heart rate Counteracts effects of stress, anxiety and even pain Counteracts effects of stress, anxiety and even pain Improves general health and mental outlook Improves general health and mental outlook Decreases urge involved in addiction of many kinds Decreases urge involved in addiction of many kinds Stills the body and the mind Stills the body and the mind

11. One-pointed attention?

12. Attention and detachment “The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (Matt 6:22) “He who wants to be a follower of mine needs to leave self behind.” “Teach us to care and not to care.” (T.S.Eliot)

13. Surface mind “the chaotic din of a mind ravaged by so much exposure to trivia and distraction” (John Main) “the monkey mind level of distraction”. (Laurence Freeman)

14. Different thoughts Trivial thoughts Trivial thoughts Deeper thoughts Deeper thoughts Preparation Preparation Naming Naming Becoming aware of conditioning in the family and society Becoming aware of conditioning in the family and society

15. Preparation “For whatever our soul was thinking about before the time of prayer inevitably occurs to us when we pray as a result of the operation of the memory. Hence we must prepare ourselves before the time of prayer to be the prayerful persons that we wish to be.” (Cassian)

16. “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf”

17. Acceptance

18. Conditioning thoughts “The limits of my language [thoughts] are the limits of my world.” (Wittgenstein) What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. (Dhammapada)

19. Conditioning Parents and siblings Parents and siblings Environment Environment Culture Culture Religion Religion Survival needs: love, security, esteem, power, control and pleasure Survival needs: love, security, esteem, power, control and pleasure

20. Who am I? Who do you think you are? “Nothing is as difficult as not deceiving oneself.” (Wittgenstein)

21. Me and my shadow “Projections change the world into the replica of our own unknown face.” (Jung)

22. Fear

23. The difficulty of change “We cannot step into the same river twice.” (Heraclites 5 th c B.C.) “Everything flows on and on like this river, without pause, day and night.” (Confucius 5 th c B.C.)

24. Ploys of the ego on the surface level Increase awareness of thoughts Increase awareness of thoughts Boring repetition Boring repetition Don’t just sit there, do something! Don’t just sit there, do something! Is this really the right mantra? Is this really the right mantra? Is this the right type of meditation? Is this the right type of meditation? Better group leader would help! Better group leader would help! This is self-indulgent This is self-indulgent Pernicious peace – ‘holy dozing’ Pernicious peace – ‘holy dozing’

26. Ploys of the ego - ‘Unmet need’ tapes “Here we meet the ego in its most frazzled state, dressed in the ever-changing costumes of daily life.” (Laurence Freeman) ‘God can’t love you unconditionally. You are not lovable!’ ‘God can’t love you unconditionally. You are not lovable!’ ‘Aren’t you out of control?’ ‘Aren’t you out of control?’ ‘I don’t know whether this is safe!’ ‘I don’t know whether this is safe!’ ‘No one prays like this. You are the odd one out!’ ‘No one prays like this. You are the odd one out!’

27. Religious Conditioning and images of God ‘This is not prayer as I was taught!’ ‘This is not prayer as I was taught!’ ‘This is not the way my parents pray. I can’t be disloyal to them.’ ‘This is not the way my parents pray. I can’t be disloyal to them.’ ‘I can’t relate to God the Father.’ ‘I can’t relate to God the Father.’ There is no such thing as ‘unconditional love’! There is no such thing as ‘unconditional love’!

28. Personal Unconscious “Here we meet the “ego dressed in the more dramatic period costumes of the different stages of our psychological history” (Laurence Freeman) This is “the darker level of consciousness of repressed fears and anxieties” (John Main) “Just name your demons and your heart will tolerate them better.”

29. Signs Sudden tears Sudden tears Feeling of irritation Feeling of irritation Waves of anger Waves of anger Boredom Boredom Feelings of dryness and pointlessness Feelings of dryness and pointlessness Ego questions: ‘What is the point if I feel worse afterwards?’ and ‘It is better to let the past be!’ Ego questions: ‘What is the point if I feel worse afterwards?’ and ‘It is better to let the past be!’

30. We have a friend.

31. Awareness of the Presence of God “Lost in the music heard so deeply That it is not heard at all But you are the music while the music lasts” (T.S.Eliot) “The whole purpose of this life is to restore to health the eye of the heart by which God may be seen.” (St Augustine)

32. Integration of the ‘ego’ and the ‘self’ This is the level of silence, where we see with wonder the light of our own spirit and where we contact the ground of our own being.” (John Main) “We confront the ego in its naked existence, all the costumes temporarily laid aside.” (Laurence Freeman)