thread clash

[cellio]

When praying (which usually means when at services), I've noticed that there's a background thread that runs in my brain. While the foreground task is reciting the words in the siddur, the background thread is analyzing the words (ok, only some of the words) based on what I've learned so far of grammar. Sometimes I notice something new (oh, that's how that verb is put together!). This is good; direct application aids learning.

But... is there a way to prevent that thread from grabbing focus? Its job, most of the time, is to note things to come back to later, but sometimes it distracts me when I ought not be distracted. Like, say, when I'm leading services. I don't want to surpress it; I just want it to behave.

(Please tell me that other people's brains work this way too? Pretty much any time I'm doing something vaguely "intellectual", there are at least two things going on in my brain, the main activity and the "meta" level that's noticing how I'm processing that main activity.)

Comments

mental processes...

[buoren.livejournal.com]

This distraction is a natural state of things; it's one of the first things that we try to be aware of in the mental exercise of meditation...

Here's an exercise which might be enlightening: next time you're eating, try to focus on the taste and texture of the food without going off on a tangent. When/if you do, try to bring the focus back to the food. The more practice you get pulling your focus back, the more you'll be able to lengthen the time between interrupts.

In addition, this is a marvelous way to really really enjoy the food you're eating... (incidentally this works on all sorts of other activities...)

-kevin

Re: mental processes...

[cellio]

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll try that; it should be educational.