Directing the Attention
Topics:
"Directing the Attention"
“An Attention Exercise”
“The Nature of the Physical Framework”
Tuesday, March 25, 2014 (Private/Phone)
Participants: Mary (Michael) and Nuno (Lystell)
ELIAS: Good morning!
NUNO: Good morning.
ELIAS: (Chuckles) And how have you been proceeding?
NUNO: Oh, fairly well overall, but I still have one issue here, having to do with attention, which is the first thing I want to talk to you about today.
ELIAS: Very well.
NUNO: So, what happens is that I start thinking about my blood pressure. Actually, what happens is I will be perfectly fine and I know I am fine and everything, I’m feeling really comfortable. Then I happen to start thinking… Well, I think something about my blood pressure. Either it could be even that my blood pressure is really good, but then just the fact that I’m paying attention to my blood pressure immediately starts it going up. And I notice this and then I pay more attention to it, and it just goes downhill very quickly from there and I can spend days trying to get out of this cycle. So, I wanted to ask you for some help here.
ELIAS: Now; the advantage is that you notice and that you know that it is a matter of what you are paying attention to. What I would express to you is, attention is the main subject in relation to any direction that you are uncomfortable with or that you ARE comfortable with. It all is a matter of what you pay attention to.
In this, what I would express to you is, the first positive aspect is that you do recognize that. Now it is a matter of allowing yourself to manipulate your attention more effectively. What do you usually do when you notice that you are paying attention to your blood pressure?
NUNO: Well, I’ve tried different things. One thing I’ve tried is to just say to myself, “Yes, but how are you feeling now, in the present?” And I’m saying, “Well, I’m feeling well.” And sometimes that works, sometimes that doesn’t. Other times I will try to generate an emotion which is somewhat joyful, saying, “I’m feeling really good” and I try to feed that emotion. Other times I will try something like distracting myself with either a thought in a different direction or an activity. The problem with that is that when I do something in order to distract myself, I will start asking myself, “Oh. Why are you doing this?” And then, of course I know why I’m doing this.
ELIAS: Which, once again, is a matter of attention. And in that, it is a matter of recognizing what is influencing your attention and where it is actually being directed.
Now; for example, you may notice that you feel good and that your blood pressure is stable. And in that, you may be actually acknowledging yourself in that moment, but it is also a matter of what are you actually concentrating upon?
In that, do you BELIEVE in that moment that you are actually creating a difference, even if it is momentary? Or, are you expressing that as an attempt to reinforce, just as you express, you at times may attempt to generate an emotion intentionally. In this, at times an acknowledgement of a situation in a positive manner may not actually genuinely BE a positive acknowledgement. It may be generated or motivated by fear, and you are attempting to circumvent an action or a consequence.
NUNO: Yes. Fear is definitely a big factor in this.
ELIAS: And therefore, although you may be expressing, “I see that this is not occurring presently,” that apprehension, or that skepticism which is motivated by fear and motivated by a trust in what you believe already exists, and therefore is constant. And in that, the expression of noticing and supposedly acknowledging that you are not generating that action in that moment is not enough to maintain it.
For when you focus upon it, there is that automatic underlying factor of accepting partially that it is possible to affect it momentarily but not necessarily maintain that. Or that you are standing upon a tightrope and that momentarily you notice that you are standing on that tightrope and as you soon as you notice it, you lose your balance. And you are fearful of falling off.
In this, it is a matter of not only being aware of how you are directing your attention in those moments. Remember: Everything you do is interconnected. Your energy is connecting everything. Therefore, although intellectually it seems that when you focus upon other actions that it is inconsequential, and you have built one expression into being very important, and therefore, any other action that does not seem to be directly affecting of that one important aspect seems inconsequential, but it is not. It is a matter of noticing how you are directing your attention in EVERYTHING.
Let me express to you, you and I engaged a previous conversation in relation to what you know versus what I know. Correct?
NUNO: Yes.
ELIAS: Now; in that, let me express that difference in a different capacity to you. The difference between what I know and what you know is in actuality more a matter of position. For, when I express to you that you chose to be forgetting, that merely addresses to recall, not memory. Memory is present; it is merely a matter of whether you recall it or not. That is a matter of position.
Figuratively speaking, I could illustrate that in a different manner and express to you that if you were to visualize yourself and myself, I would place us both in relation to a room. And in this room, it is very concentrated with many, many, many, many objects, many manifestations. In every inch of this room there is an object that occupies it.
In that, my position would be, figuratively speaking, above the room, and my attention is not singularly focused. Therefore, I view the room in its entirety and can see every object in the room. You are in the middle of the room, and your attention is more singularly focused. Therefore, the same objects occupy the room, but you do not see them all at once, for your attention is more singularly focused – and, you incorporate a tendency to fix your attention upon certain objects in the room and hold your attention with them for considerable time frameworks, rather than moving through the room and observing all the other objects that occupy the room.
In this, all of those objects occupy the same space arrangement. This is what they have in common. They all occupy that room. Therefore, how you move your attention does not necessarily change the room, but it allows you a greater awareness of what is in it – and, it allows you to engage more of what is in the room.
In this, when you fix your attention in one direction it is a matter of… Let us say that you notice a beautiful music box in that room and you very much enjoy the tune that the music box is playing. And you may want to move through that room and discover other objects in the room, and you may glance at them in your vision and they may interest you, and you may begin to move towards them, but you continue to pay attention to that tune that the music box is playing, and you continue to turn around and move back to the music box.
In this, what you pay attention to changes your perspective. It changes your reality, for it changes what you engage. If you walk away from the music box, you can recall the tune that the music box is playing, but you may be more engaged by playing a game that is in another area of the room or admiring a lamp that is in another area of the room.
In this, when you move your attention in those directions in a genuine manner, you begin to create the music box as being less important, and you stop paying attention to it. If you are paying attention to the lamp but you are continuously thinking about the music box, you are not actually paying attention to the lamp. You are not actually noticing the details of it, for you are preoccupied with the idea of the music box.
Now; all that being expressed, it is a matter of emphasizing not distracting yourself in the capacity of attempting to replace a thought or a feeling. That may be successful for a moment, but it is likely not to be successful in an ongoing manner, for you are merely moving away from the music box but you continue to concentrate upon it.
In this, it is a matter of genuinely being aware of how you are directing your attention. You expressed, generally when you notice that you are not experiencing symptoms in relation to your blood pressure is when you are not paying attention to it at all. But then you pay attention to it, and that is when you notice.
Does that spark the idea in you?
NUNO: No. (Laughs) I mean, I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t understand what the question is.
ELIAS: The point is that you are successful when you are not paying attention and you notice that or you validate it when you do pay attention again. The point is, you want to maintain that physical expression of that freedom of this physical manifestation not affecting you and not being bothersome to you, and the point is to maintain those time frameworks in which it is not. But how you stop maintaining it is by moving your attention back to it.
NUNO: Yeah. This is quite clear to me.
ELIAS: In this, how you more efficiently and effectively maintain NOT moving your attention back to it is by being aware of what you ARE paying attention to when you are not paying attention to it. What ARE you paying attention to? How ARE you directing your attention? What are you placing importance on that is enough to override the importance of the physical manifestation?
What I would express to you is, generally when you are not paying attention to the physical manifestation, in many time frameworks you are generating automatic pilot. You are not necessarily being aware of what you ARE paying attention to or what you are generating an importance with; you are merely not paying attention to the physical manifestation. And that is the reason that it is so difficult for you to maintain that, for you are not aware of what it is that you ARE paying attention to when you are not paying attention to the physical.
NUNO: Okay.
ELIAS: In this, this is the reason that I expressed to you the significance of being aware of what is important to you and how you are paying attention to those subjects or those expressions that are important to you. Are you paying attention in the manner of not enough? Or lack? Or dissatisfaction? Or, are you paying attention in relation to noticing how comfortable you are? Or paying attention to what is satisfying to you and what is comfortable to you?
It is a matter, as I have expressed previously, of altering the importances, but you cannot do that unless you are noticing what you ARE paying attention to. How can you shift an importance, generate more importance with a different subject, if you are not even aware that you are paying attention to that other subject?
The lamp that you are looking at cannot become important if you are not aware of looking at it. If you are looking at it but you are generating that automatic pilot and not aware of what you are paying attention to, and underlying you continue to pay attention to the music box and the sound that it is generating. The lamp may be very intricately designed. It may be very beautiful, but you do not see it. You see a general image of it.
The lamp is not loud. Therefore, it seems that it is not holding your attention as much. But it can, if you are aware of how you are directing your attention. And that directing of attention is to notice all of the other expressions that you are not satisfied with or that are not enough or that are frustrating or that are difficult or limiting, and how much time and attention you give to them.
A very telling exercise is to incorporate one single day to very intentionally observe yourself and what you pay attention to and what your evaluation is of every expression within your day, and what is your assessment of each experience within the day – regardless of what it is. Are you incorporating a cup of coffee and are you rushing? Are you enjoying that cup of coffee and are you actually savoring it, or are you actually tasting it? Or are you merely drinking it and rushing through? Are you showering and dressing yourself mindlessly? And in doing so, are you satisfied with those actions, or are you uninterested and rushing through those actions also?
Are you engaging another individual in relation to work or in relation to some mundane action that is occurring in your day, and are you actually present with that individual or are you thinking about other activities that you must accomplish within your day? Or are you becoming agitated that the other individual is encroaching on your time? When you incorporate a break for a meal, for lunch or a snack, are you engaging that action in a satisfying manner, or are you expressing that there is not enough cheese or there is not enough bread?
When you engage your partner, or your child, or a friend, and they are expressing in a manner that you are not entirely interested in the subject matter, are you being present or are you dissatisfied and expressing that, within yourself, you wish you would move on? When you are engaging your cat, are you only engaging your cat when YOU want to engage the cat? Or are you willing to engage the cat whenever it wants to engage you?
All of these actions involve choices, perception and energy. And all of that energy is interconnected. It matters not what the subject is. What connects it is how you are perceiving it, and if that perception is being expressed in a more consistent manner of not enough, frustration, disinterest and dissatisfaction, or if more of that energy is expressing in satisfaction, contentment, being comfortable and being relaxed. I would wager to express that you know which you express more of.
NUNO: Well, I’ve been trying to change that.
ELIAS: I am aware. What I am expressing to you is somewhat of a different direction of that. It is very common for individuals to generate a thought process, especially in relation to manifestations that they do not like and that they do not want, to merely become creative in how to avoid them – which does not break the concentration upon what they do not want or what they are not satisfied with.
It is a matter of recognizing that balance is not compartmentalized. It is an expression of EVERYTHING in your life, EVERYTHING in your experiences, ALL of the subjects – not one in this direction, one in that direction, one in another direction.
In this, balance is what allows you to accomplish what you want to accomplish and to be satisfied and comfortable and content with what you are creating. And it allows you to create more intentionally, for to be expressing balance, you must be present. You must be aware of what you are paying attention to, not merely that “I recognize that I am accomplishing in this for I was not paying attention. Therefore, I noticed when I was not paying attention.” That is a step, but there are steps beyond that that offer you more power and more intentional creation, more ability to manipulate your reality intentionally.
Being aware and acknowledging yourself that you ARE accomplishing when you are NOT paying attention to a particular manifestation is a beginning, and that is to be acknowledged. From that point, it is a matter of engaging the next step, which is what ARE you paying attention to when you are not paying attention to the manifestation? What is important enough that you are paying more attention to that temporarily and therefore you are NOT paying attention to the manifestation any longer?
For whatever it is that you ARE paying attention to IS being expressed as more important for that time framework. That is what is significant to become aware of, for that offers you the ability to see more of the room and incorporate more choices.
Are you understanding?
NUNO: Yes.
ELIAS: And in this, what would you express that you genuinely would acknowledge yourself in accomplishment, rather than what concerns you in frustration?
NUNO: Well, I think I would acknowledge that I’ve been making some pretty good progress recently. I mean, some of the things that you’ve been speaking of just now I was aware of, like for example feeling satisfaction, not expressing not enough and things like that. I’ve been making some progress on that.
ELIAS: Excellent! And what differences do you notice?
NUNO: I notice that I am able to be less agitated, to be more confident, things like that.
ELIAS: Excellent. And what do you notice that you do when you feel more confident?
NUNO: Well, in those cases I’m usually able to be more effective in attracting what I want.
ELIAS: Such as?
NUNO: Well, such as… A very simple example is if I’m in that kind of a state of mind, if I’m walking down the street and I see somebody, they are much more likely to smile at me and be friendly. So, that’s a very simple example. I’m also able to express myself more clearly to others, for example.
ELIAS: Excellent. And that does generate a significant influence in relation to confidence. And in that, what actions have you noticed that you are more confident in engaging that you would have been less confident in previously?
NUNO: Interacting with people, I think. I think that before, I was very concerned about what other people thought about me, what their opinion was of me, and I don’t think about that so much anymore.
ELIAS: That is a significant alteration. That is very significant, for that is a very influencing aspect in being concerned with other individuals’ perceptions. It can be very limiting.
NUNO: Okay. Shall we move on?
ELIAS: We shall.
NUNO: I wanted to ask you about certain ideas I have about the nature of the physical framework, as I call it. And I want to ask you to tell me if these ideas are correct, basically.
So, the first thing. It’s pretty basic. My understanding is that my body is completely, entirely a manifestation of mine. Is that correct?
ELIAS: Yes.
NUNO: Okay. And suppose that I go for a walk outside. As I walk along the street and I see various things – I see the trees, the houses, the road itself and so on – and suppose I see a mailbox along the road. Is that mailbox a manifestation of mine?
ELIAS: Yes.
NUNO: So, then by extension, it would be the road and the houses and all the other things I see would also be manifestations of mine. Is that correct?
ELIAS: Yes. You are correct.
NUNO: Now if I look at a tree, a tree is a living organism, so it has consciousness. Would the tree also be –
ELIAS: So does a house.
NUNO: Pardon?
ELIAS: So does a house.
NUNO: So does the house. I see. Okay.
ELIAS: So does the mailbox. EVERYTHING is made up of consciousness – everything.
Now; in that, do they also already exist? Yes. They do. But when you perceive them, when you encounter them, you reconfigure them to be your individual manifestation. Therefore, what you see, what you perceive, will be different from what any other individual in your reality sees or perceives. It may not be tremendously different, but it will be different.
NUNO: Okay. This is basically the conclusion I’ve come to, then. All right.
Then from that, I take it that if I see another individual as I’m walking down the street, now the physical body of that individual is also a manifestation of mine as well. It may or may not be close to what that individual is actually projecting, but it’s still my manifestation. Is that correct?
ELIAS: Yes.
NUNO: Okay. The reason I’m asking these things is because I have found it very helpful to me to adapt a point of view in which I am consciously aware of the things I’ve just said. In other words, I’m consciously aware that when I walk down the street that I basically created everything I see.
ELIAS: Yes.
NUNO: A lot of it, I’ve created based on information. Like if I see an individual, I created that individual based on information of what I know about the individual themself. But that creation, that manifestation of that individual, has been altered by my perception.
ELIAS: Yes.
NUNO: Okay. Now, I found it very beneficial to me to take that stance, that position, because it gives me a slight separation between my awareness and the physical world. It gets me to step back. I’m not so much, like you say, in that room with all these objects and the objects are very, very close to me. And I found this very beneficial to me.
ELIAS: Yes. I am understanding. And it also can be very empowering, for it allows you to recognize that everything in your reality is a product of your perception. Your perception is creating all of it.
And in that, when you recognize that your perception IS creating all of it, you also begin to recognize that you are configuring that energy in a particular manner. It is not absolute. If you have configured it in that manner, you can configure it in a different manner also.
NUNO: Okay. I want to… Do you have more to say on that? Otherwise, I’ll have another question.
ELIAS: You may continue.
NUNO: In your earlier times when you spoke to people in your group sessions, you used to speak about how it was beneficial to be connected. And you would use the word "connected." You would ask people, “Are you connected?” or something like that. And I’m wondering... I mean, last time I asked you whether I was essence or part of essence, and you said I am essence. But if I am essence, then what is there to connect to?
ELIAS: Ah! You ARE essence. But in physical reality, you have created additional components, one of which is an objective awareness. Within consciousness, the expression of an objective awareness is not necessary, for objective awareness is a component of what aids you in actually creating physical manifestations. Therefore, it is a part of physical reality.
Now; in this, that creates an element of separation.
Now; within physical reality, separation does incorporate a function, but it also aids in somewhat creating or influencing a perception of isolation. In this, it influences you to perceive reality in general as separate, or in relation to separate expressions. And in that, it affects your awareness, so to speak, of your connectedness, or your interconnectedness. And that is a very important factor, for in consciousness – which is what you are, which is what everything is – without the physical manifestations, everything IS interconnected. And even WITH the physical separations, you are interconnected; you merely do not always see it. But that is not to say that it does not exist.
In this, it is significant to recognize that connection with each other, with yourselves, with your reality, with everything around you, for you ARE connected. I would express that this is a significant piece of your individual empowerment, that you recognize that connectedness. For when you perceive that you are disconnected or that you are isolated or that you are alone or that you are so different, it creates an influence in relation to your perception in regard to your abilities. It creates an influence of your perception that you view yourself to be less powerful, less able, less capable and more susceptible to outside influences; that outside influences are creating parts or aspects of your reality. That is one aspect of separation that is not necessarily entirely beneficial.
Therefore, it is important to be aware of and remember that interconnectedness, that you are not separate. You ARE creating all of your reality, and in that, you are not separate from it, and that is what allows you to do it.
NUNO: Okay. Thank you for that.
ELIAS: Let me express to you, my friend, in relation to separation and perception, in a very simple manner, if you are not perceiving yourself as connected, and you are interacting with another individual, and in that separateness another individual expresses in a particular manner that you feel powerless with, it is very easy to perceive yourself as a victim, that you have no power in a particular situation or an expression, or even with yourself – that you have no power, you have no, in your terms, control of certain expressions or certain situations, for they are separate from you. But they are not.
And if you have the ability to manipulate, for you ARE connected, then you also incorporate that empowerment. You are not subject to. It is YOUR choice. If you are disconnected, then that creates a situation in which it is possible for some outside source, whether it be another individual, a situation or a germ, could create your reality for you – or to you.
NUNO: Okay. I think I understand what you’re saying there.
ELIAS: Very well!
NUNO: So, kind of unusual position here where there’s a little bit of time left, and I’ve actually got one more question. So, the last time we talked a little bit about Seth, and I asked you a question. I asked you why was it necessary to distort the material, and your answer to that was basically what I already knew because I had read it and you had said essentially the same thing some other time. So, my question is this.
I mean, Seth wrote thousands of pages, and I find it hard to believe that there isn’t a lot of useful material in there. And perhaps some of it was distorted, but how…? Is it still a useful reference I guess is really what I’m asking. I mean…
ELIAS: I would not discount that at all, and I have not. I would express to you very definitely that yes, it IS valuable. Yes, it IS useful.
The factor that information may incorporate distortion is not to say that it is not valuable or useful. That, in actuality, matters not. I offer information with the intention and with the expression of the least distortion possible in your physical language – and from that point, each of you distorts it through your own perception. Therefore, in that, you place this value upon that expression that it is the least distorted, and do not recognize that you yourselves distort it immediately as soon as you perceive it. In this, that is MY agenda.
[The timer for the session rings]
I would express that the information that was offered by that essence was tremendously valuable and considerably revolutionary, if you will, in a groundbreaking manner, in offering information in relation to the action of this shift in consciousness by offering information to spark awareness of your reality and what it is, and what you do in it and how you express it, and therefore information about yourselves and what you are and what you do and what influences that and what motivates it. I would express that the information that was offered by that essence was TREMENDOUSLY valuable.
And I would express that this is also the reason that I have been interactive SUBSEQUENT to that essence, not in the same time framework but subsequent, for that laid a foundation. And in that, I would express that that is a tremendously valuable expression that has generated the foundation for almost all of the information that I offer to all of you now.
NUNO: Okay. Thank you.
ELIAS: You are very welcome. In this, yes, I would express that this is considerably valuable and acknowledged information and not to be discounted at all. Therefore, I would encourage you to connect with that also. (Laughs) As you already have.
I shall be greatly anticipating our next meeting, my friend, and perhaps the sharing of more of what you ARE paying attention to and accomplishing in that. Agreed?
NUNO: Yes.
ELIAS: (Laughs) Very well! Until our next meeting, in tremendous encouragement to you, as always, and in great lovingness and appreciation, au revoir.
NUNO: Au revoir.
(Elias departs after 1 hour 2 minutes)
Copyright 2014 Mary Ennis, All Rights Reserved.