The Power of Noticing: How to Interrupt Mechanical Life

We saw in the last post that conscious intervention is required for psychological growth. Conscious development can only proceed consciously. This thread runs through the advice given in similar terms by three authors:

Neville insists upon the awakened imagination, which is directed, as opposed to the unawakened imagination, which drags you after it.

Rolf Alexander makes the attainment of objective consciousness the life goal. It is the central tenet in his program of subconscious retraining.

Maurice Nicoll says, if there is buried in us a sense of the truth, we must admit that there is a great deal superficial to it that fights against it.

In this post, we explore the act of self-creation; the deliberate interruption of mechanical process in one’s own mentation.

Illustrative story
A care giver was describing to me her experience with one of her clients. This client is suffering from some sort of neurological disorder causing in her a chaotic and disrupted existence. She has no capacity to filter, or relax and see the wider picture. Everything has to undergo a literal interpretation. Every event, moment to moment, receives the same tortured, intense scrutiny. She cannot properly perceive or empathize with others.

This picture reminds me of British neurologist Maurice Nicoll's explanation of what is called the release phenomenon (not to be confused with the Sedona Method release technique). An individual’s neural system is structured, consisting of layers, each having a discrete function. If a higher layer is somehow damaged or not utilized, then the person is “released” (again, not in a positive way) into the lower function, where experience is chaotic and disrupted, as I've described.

While we might feel pity for that client, it is actually projection, because we ourselves are experiencing a release parallel to hers. It is only a question of degree. That was Nicoll's insight. The normal waking state is a “release” state – an inferior mode of functioning – characterized by brief periods of focused attention or mesmeric fascination, amidst a generally hectic and fragmented backdrop.

Nicoll goes on to explain that in conventional medicine, which is materialist and Darwinian, there is no concept of possible higher mental levels. That is one reason why he left CG Jung to study an esoteric teaching that showed him the latent conscious function in Man.

To escape from the chaotic released condition, we must strive to invoke, to reintegrate self remembering consciousness. In that sense, we are self creating.

Counterintuitive development
As we take on a new study, it is natural to think we are accumulating knowledge or skill. And we did not waste time in studying foundational ideas. But the project of higher consciousness has to do rather with dissociating from clutter to allow inherent consciousness to arise in the present moment.

Let’s go through a few examples to show how this plays out in daily life, and then offer some reflections on what we’ve accomplished. Go to podcast S2E17 audio or transcript.