thread clash
Jan. 26th, 2006 09:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellioWhen 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.)
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.)
Close your eyes
Date: 2006-01-29 04:01 am (UTC)Last week I was at a "Jewish Centre" in a rich part of toronto - Forest Hill - due to the presence of Rav Akiva Tats. The Rabbi had made an announcement after mussaf was over, which he said that he had thought of while davening. Obviously he's not perfect at focusing on the purpose of his davening either.
I think that once you get to know the words of תפילה off by heart, whether in English or Hebrew, you have to close your eyes and really try to bring up the feeling that you are speaking them, and meaning them, by your own deep down volition. Sometimes, when I am feeling extra meditative, I picture the words arising from the depths of my belly (wait a minute, words don't come from there.........) and shooting out of my mouth, directed towards their proper destination.
Whatever way you do it, I think you really have to bring your תפילה from the strict domain of the rational, and allow it to enter the emotional as well as you can.
One idea just cropped up: Why don't you try to organize a learning סדר with some people and pick apart the meanings of the different prayers? That might help quench the brain in view of involving the heart more :)
Anyway, hope that was helpful!!
- Inkhorn
Re: Close your eyes
Date: 2006-01-31 03:23 pm (UTC)That's a good point. I often do this with Sh'ma/v'ahavta, and have occasionally done it with parts of the t'filah (mostly avot and modim), but I haven't tried doing it for longer stretches.
This is when davening for myself, I mean. I'm almost always "on book" when leading, even when I have the passage memorized, because as the leader I have an extra obligation to get it right no matter what distractions might arise.
One idea just cropped up: Why don't you try to organize a learning סדר with some people and pick apart the meanings of the different prayers? That might help quench the brain in view of involving the heart more :)
That's a good idea. And I've been looking for a subject that I could plausibly teach as part of our adult-ed program (so I can get some experience doing that kind of teaching); leading a recurring study group on this subject would work well for me.