The memory has no greater enemy than lack of concentration.Unfortunately,the present-day emphasis on political crisis,threats of war and sensational news is an enemy of concentration.It tends to develop nervousness and lack of concentration.Many people believe they are concentrating but to sufficient degree when they succeed in doing their jobs competently even when surrounded by distracting noise.That this is not concentration is evident when one attempts any sort of reasonably simple experiment demanding real authentic concentration.
Europeans, we must confess,are greatly inferior in the art of concentration to Asiatics,especially Hindus.For hundreds of years Indian fakirs and yogis have practiced concentration systematically,and they have passed their art along from generation to generation.But on the other hand,we can without doubt increase our power of concentration to a very high degree and at the same time conduct a successful fight against absent-mindedness.
As exercises in concentration I recommend the following:
1.Stretch out in a comfortable position on a couch or bed and be careful to relax your whole body,with no strain or tension anywhere.Close your eyes and try to visualize the form of some simple familiar article.As soon as you succeed in doing so,concentrate your thoughts on this article to the exclusion of everything else and do not let them stray in any direction if you can help it.Suppose for example you choose an electric light bulb.You must keep your mind on the bulb and not let it stray to the chandelier or the room it illuminates or the people in the room.
at first it will be difficult for you to sustain this experiment for longer than four or five seconds.But by gradual,regular drill,you will succeed in running the time of concentration up to ten seconds or longer.
when you have learned to this,make the experience much difficult.instead of the quiet room,select a more or less populous place where you are unable to stretch out in a position conducive to concentration,and where,moreover,the impressions on eye and ear will make it more difficult for you to collect your thoughts.
2.A more difficult, and consequently more interesting exercise in concentration consists in remembering as exactly as possible the occurrences of the hour immediately preceding this.It is not sufficient for you to recall only that you bought an evening paper or had a whisky soda.The correct method of carrying out the experiment would be somewhat follows:
Its now 6pm.At 5 I left my office in Maryland street and went to Kents underground station.On the way there the window of shop X caught my eye because it contained a particularly good looking suit.I stood in front of the window and wondered whether my income and my expenses for the cyrrent month would let me buy a new suit.The answer was NO.But i noted the name of the tailor and decided that i could afford it next month.If you carry out the exercise in this manner,you will make an important experiment in concentration.The more detailed the better.That is the more particulars you can recall,the more value the exercise will have for you.
Europeans, we must confess,are greatly inferior in the art of concentration to Asiatics,especially Hindus.For hundreds of years Indian fakirs and yogis have practiced concentration systematically,and they have passed their art along from generation to generation.But on the other hand,we can without doubt increase our power of concentration to a very high degree and at the same time conduct a successful fight against absent-mindedness.
As exercises in concentration I recommend the following:
1.Stretch out in a comfortable position on a couch or bed and be careful to relax your whole body,with no strain or tension anywhere.Close your eyes and try to visualize the form of some simple familiar article.As soon as you succeed in doing so,concentrate your thoughts on this article to the exclusion of everything else and do not let them stray in any direction if you can help it.Suppose for example you choose an electric light bulb.You must keep your mind on the bulb and not let it stray to the chandelier or the room it illuminates or the people in the room.
at first it will be difficult for you to sustain this experiment for longer than four or five seconds.But by gradual,regular drill,you will succeed in running the time of concentration up to ten seconds or longer.
when you have learned to this,make the experience much difficult.instead of the quiet room,select a more or less populous place where you are unable to stretch out in a position conducive to concentration,and where,moreover,the impressions on eye and ear will make it more difficult for you to collect your thoughts.
2.A more difficult, and consequently more interesting exercise in concentration consists in remembering as exactly as possible the occurrences of the hour immediately preceding this.It is not sufficient for you to recall only that you bought an evening paper or had a whisky soda.The correct method of carrying out the experiment would be somewhat follows:
Its now 6pm.At 5 I left my office in Maryland street and went to Kents underground station.On the way there the window of shop X caught my eye because it contained a particularly good looking suit.I stood in front of the window and wondered whether my income and my expenses for the cyrrent month would let me buy a new suit.The answer was NO.But i noted the name of the tailor and decided that i could afford it next month.If you carry out the exercise in this manner,you will make an important experiment in concentration.The more detailed the better.That is the more particulars you can recall,the more value the exercise will have for you.
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