Contents
The
Everything that we truly put our soul into becomes our favorite. This encyclopedia required complete dedication from me and became my favorite child, especially since working on it was a joy: I already knew how necessary this work was. The encyclopedia was born from «Psychologos» — an Internet portal that systematizes the entire body of knowledge, approaches and issues of practical psychology. Without any promotion, «Psychologos» for several years turned out to be one of the most popular and sought-after psychological resources on the Internet, and every day letters of gratitude for this work came to me and continue to arrive.
From me here is a reciprocal gratitude: it is important for the author to understand that people need his work.
I once started writing “Psychologists” for myself, because a huge array of information, exercises and trainings required systematization, and the wiki engine turned out to be very convenient. There were hopes that labor would become collective. But they did not come true: colleagues generously shared when they were enthusiastic, when they criticized and doubted, but they rarely provided their own articles, honestly admitting: “It’s a pleasure to criticize, but writing something systematically and in a positive way is hard, and the responsibility is too great” .
Nevertheless, without the support of my friends, colleagues, and associates, this book would hardly have been possible. My love, appreciation and gratitude to Alexander Gamaleev, Pavel Zygmantovich, Timur Vladimirovich Gagin, Igor Olegovich Vagin, Olga Paratnova, Lila Trishkina, Elena Prokofieva, and the wisest woman in the world — my beloved wife Marina Smirnova.
When creating the encyclopedia, I sincerely tried to be as objective as possible, my colleagues also made every effort to do this, but it is impossible to pretend that this book does not bear the imprint of the author’s view. This is not an encyclopedia at all, this is a vision of modern psychology from the point of view of the synton approach. Although hundreds of my colleagues and I have been working in this tradition for at least two decades, we did not give it a name for a long time: it seemed to us that this was not some special approach, but simply common sense. However, the work on the encyclopedia showed the need to formalize this approach as an independent direction, different from Gestalt therapy, NLP, psychoanalysis and other modern trends in practical psychology.
Today it can be argued that the synton approach is the central direction of Russian practical psychology. It is within the framework and on the basis of the synton approach that the most serious scientific studies of the results of training practice have been carried out in recent decades, most of the best leading personal trainings in Russia have been brought up, and several dozens of independent training schools have been formed. The synton approach currently shows the highest performance in the field of personal training and is successfully used in counseling practice. It is important that the synton approach is obviously an integrative psychological direction, built on the basis of independent domestic developments, primarily on the basis of the cultural-historical theory of L. S. Vygotsky, which includes the achievements of most modern psychological approaches. Today, when it is so important to unite the efforts of psychologists-practitioners of all directions, the synton approach can serve as the basis for it.
Life pushes us, psychologists, to cooperate. Our task is to create a common system in which the professionals who follow us will work even better. Only together, by joining forces, will we be able to adequately respond to the demands of life, we will be able to do what people expect from psychologists.
Today, the situation in the field of practical psychology most of all resembles the feudal fragmentation of Ancient Russia: many isolated principalities (psychological schools) that do not understand and do not want to understand each other. We felt this in the formation of the encyclopedia in full. When you read articles by different authors, it seems that each author is logical — only until you put these works side by side and try to combine them. They don’t unite. Everything cracks and crawls, because each psychologist has his own terminology. There was an illusion of logic in the articles, since the concepts were not defined and were used arbitrarily, turning conveniently sideways in a convenient context. This is how conjurers work, but science cannot be built this way. Science begins with the definition of concepts, with a clear understanding of what we are talking about.
In all articles that talk about feelings, the word “feeling” can only have one meaning and one definition, and if the author claims that feelings take care of us, this should also apply to feelings of horror, despair and nightmare. If we write in one place that each person is a person, and in another — “one is not born a person, one becomes a person”, then it is obvious that these are two different understandings of the person and they should be divorced.
The work on the encyclopedia showed and proved the need for cooperation. Each of us will begin to work better only when we, psychologists, begin to cooperate. Doctors understood this before us, and specialists working on the same problem are invariably in contact with each other. An ophthalmologist, for example, does not have to cooperate with a surgeon, but surgeons take care that the successful findings of one may enrich the work of all. In psychology, unfortunately, feudal fragmentation still reigns, where almost every psychologist works in his own style, dissociating himself from his colleagues. However, if they do not seek cooperation, they will not create a direction. If followers of one direction will fence themselves off from colleagues of another direction, we will not create a unified system for a long time. It’s great to work on your own — not enough. Our task is to create a common system in which the professionals who follow us will work even better.
Life pushes us to cooperate, and now is a good time. Today, practitioners have an interest in theory, and academic psychology is beginning to turn towards practice. Only together, by joining forces, will we be able to adequately respond to the demands of life, we will be able to do what people expect from psychologists. The synton approach is a collaborative approach and is open to all practicing psychologists with a scientific outlook.
I would like to believe that the encyclopedia will be in demand in university courses in practical psychology, will become an educational base for beginning practicing psychologists and a conceptual standard for professionals.
- Contents and this fragment of the book can be downloaded here (*pdf format)
Part I. Human psychology
Human psychology — internal features that distinguish one person from another. Each of us has our own characteristics: a different amount of memory and a different reaction rate, since childhood, boys love to play cars and fight, girls play with dolls and slander, with age, we all change values and interests.
Chapter 1. Human psychology — what is it?
Human psychology includes his abilities, skills, abilities, including managing his emotions, his worldview, attitudes and beliefs, his self-image, his goals and values, character and temperament, needs and feelings.
«From below» human psychology is determined by the genetics of a person, the structure and pattern of his body, «from above» — by the social environment in which a person socializes, from where he takes patterns of behavior that somehow builds and educates him.
Human psychology is the internal causes of human behavior that make it go beyond logic, expediency or reasonable social expectations. When behavior is rational and expedient, fits into the social framework and logic, the question of psychology is not raised. And when something does not fit into the rational, when a person’s behavior begins to be influenced by his states, feelings and other unpredictable internal features, a conversation begins about psychology — human psychology.
The young wrestler showed excellent technique, but met the champion on the mat — and as if he forgot everything, forgot how to do everything. Fear, self-doubt?
I outlined things, but I don’t want to do them, I took up something else. It was necessary to remain silent — no, he said. I wanted to say softly, but emotions overwhelmed …
I went to the pharmacy, and went to the store. Little money, but could not resist, bought an expensive bag. I forgot to call — I can’t calm down, I’m scolding myself. I need to go to the dentist, but I don’t go, I pull the rubber.
All this is irrational, inexpedient, nobody needs it, but it happens. This is internal and psychological, something that is not described in a strictly logical way, goes beyond the scope of rationality and expediency. When a person is strictly logical, when he has a goal, deliberately selects the optimal means and reasonably implements the planned plan, this is understandable and rational, there is no place for psychology here, psychology is not needed here.
Human psychology can be studied scientifically, or it can be described mystical, esoteric or simply worldly, then we get a mystical, religious, worldly psychology.
For many people, «psychology» in the everyday sense is a favorite pastime. Such people often look for psychological content and psychological background where there is no “psychology” at the level of common sense.
«Sometimes a banana is just a banana,» Sigmund Freud explained to his little daughter…
People who are passionate about psychology often look for a psychological solution to issues where a business person would solve a problem in a routine way.
According to one of the parables, a man came to the Buddha and said that he could fly over the Ganges River. «How long have you been studying this?» asked the Buddha. «Twenty five years!» the man replied. “Strange,” said the Buddha. “Why waste twenty-five years on this when any boatman will always take you across the Ganges for three coins?”
«From above» the psychology of a person is determined by the social environment in which he socializes, from where he takes patterns of behavior that builds and educates him in one way or another.
For business people, psychology is only a means, one of the tools, and business is the main thing. Such people can pay attention to psychology, create the desired state, but in itself this is unimportant and uninteresting to them, it is only important for them whether the deed will be done as a result or not. If this result can be achieved by administrative measures, without any psychology, they will rather choose the administrative approach. Excessive enthusiasm for psychology is called by business people gu.e.vato «psychologist», and perhaps they are right about something.
Chapter 2. Human Genetics
To fantasize about your possibilities without knowing the limits is irresponsible. To get involved in psychology, forgetting about physiology and genetics, is wrong. The higher grows through the lower, and any psychologist should know the basics of genetics.
A newborn person is not just a body with a set of genes. No, this is already a member of society, someone’s child, his mother already loves him and his father is ready to raise him. No one yet knows whether a newborn has at least the rudiments of reason, will and spirit, but one thing can be said with certainty: from birth, a child has his genes that determine his life and development. Genes are sections of DNA that carry information about heredity. Congenital features of a person transmitted through genes — human genetics. A genotype is a set of genes of an organism, a phenotype is the external manifestations of these genes, a set of characteristics of an organism. A phenotype is everything that can be seen, counted, measured, described just by looking at a person (for example, blue eyes, blond hair, short stature, temperament — choleric, etc.).
In men, the genotype is more variable, in women — the phenotype.
According to some scientists, genes pass programs to a greater extent not to the next generation, but through the generation, that is, your genes will not be in your children, but in your grandchildren. And your children have the genes of your parents.
What determine genes? Our physical and mental features. Genes dictate that we, as humans, cannot fly and breathe underwater, but we can learn to speak and write. Boys are easier to navigate in the objective world, girls — in the world of relationships. Someone was born with an absolute ear for music, someone with an absolute memory, and someone with an average ability.
The ability of the child depends on the age of the parents. Genius children are most often born in a couple where the mother is 27 years old, the father is 38. However, the healthiest children appear in younger parents, when the mother is from 18 to 27. Your choice?
Genes determine many of our tendencies, influence our individual predispositions, including diseases, antisocial behavior, talent, physical or intellectual activity, etc.
At the same time, it is important to always remember: the tendency pushes a person, but does not determine his behavior. The genes are responsible for the propensity, the person is responsible for the behavior. Yes, and you can work with inclinations: develop some, make them loved, and leave some out of your attention, extinguish them, forget …
Genes determine the time when some of our talent or inclination will manifest or not.
I came at the right time, when the genes are ready, — I did a miracle. Missed on time — you fly by. Today a person is receptive to upbringing — “a white sheet” or “absorbs only good things”, and tomorrow, like the king from the movie “An Ordinary Miracle”, his aunt will wake up in him and he will be weird.
Genes determine when our sex drive wakes up and when it falls asleep. Genes affect both the ability to feel happiness (see Chapter 11, section «Happiness»), and character traits (see Chapter 3, section «Character», «Temperament»).
After analyzing data on more than 900 pairs of twins, psychologists at the University of Edinburgh found evidence of the existence of genes that determine character traits, a tendency to feel happy, and the ability to tolerate stress more easily.
Aggressiveness and goodwill, genius and dementia, introversion or extraversion (see Chapter 4, section «Psychology of Individual Differences») are passed on to children from their parents as inclinations. All this can be changed by upbringing, but to varying degrees, since the inclinations are of different strength. A child’s learning ability is also related to their genetics. And here we note: healthy children are quite trainable. Human genetics makes us exceptionally learnable beings!
Genes are the carriers of our capabilities, including change and improvement. Interestingly, men and women have different opportunities in this regard. Men are more likely than women to be born with one or another deviation: among men there are more of those who will be very tall or very short, very smart or, conversely, an idiot. It seems that nature is experimenting on men (see Chapter 4, section «Men and Women»). It is very difficult for a man to change the features inherent in him from birth. A man is tied to his genotype, his phenotype changes little.
Born tall, you will stay tall. A short man can rise 1–2 centimeters with the help of sports, but no more.
For women, the situation is different. They have less biological, genetic abnormalities. More often than average height, average intelligence, average decency; There are fewer idiots and scum among women than among men. But also outstanding intellectually or morally — too. It seems that evolution, conducting experiments on men, decides not to take risks on women and invests in them all the most reliable. At the same time, individual (phenotypic) variability in women is higher: if a girl was born small relative to others, she will be able to stretch 2–5 cm (more than a guy can). Women have more freedom from their genotype, more opportunity than men to change themselves.
Genes give us our capabilities, and genes limit our capabilities.
A proud wheat ear grows from a grain of wheat, and a beautiful branchy apple tree grows from an apple tree seedling. Our essence, our inclinations and the ability to realize ourselves are given to us by our genes. On the other hand, only an ear of wheat will grow from a grain of wheat, only an apple tree will grow from an apple tree sapling, and a frog, no matter how puffed up, will not turn into a bull — it does not even have enough strength to burst from the effort.
Man is a part of nature, these examples are also true for him. Genes predetermine the boundaries of our capabilities, including changing ourselves, striving for growth and development. If you had a successful set of genes, you managed to perceive the influence of your parents and teachers, grew up as a developed, decent and talented person — thanks to mom and dad! If you were less fortunate with your genes, and you were (suddenly!) Born with Down syndrome, then in the best environment you will only grow up to be a well-mannered person with Down syndrome. In this sense, our genes are our destiny, and we cannot directly influence them, as well as our ability to grow and change.
Is there a lot of genetically inherent in us — a very controversial issue. The assumption that the more a person moves away from the animal world, the less innate and more acquired in him, is very similar to the truth.
For now, it must be admitted that there is a lot of innateness in most of us. On average, according to geneticists, genes determine human behavior by 40%.
If you love your child and learn to be a good parent and caregiver, are you guaranteed success? No. No matter how talented a teacher you are, you can have a “sour” or difficult child with whom there is really little you can do. If you do your best, you can reduce the trouble that this child causes to people, but will you have time to raise a worthy person out of him in two decades of raising him? It doesn’t always work out that way. A person is born with his own character, and he is very different. Some children are born immediately «at home»: the character is light, supple, they are friends with adults and listen to them. Others have a difficult character from the very beginning: it’s hard for them, it’s hard for them.
What does it mean? Only that it is worth taking a closer look at the one or the one with whom you are going to start a family. Pay attention to relatives, taking into account not only the fact that you will have to meet with them, but also the fact that your child may also have one or another character.
Genetics can be good or bad, and it depends, among other things, on our lifestyle. Under favorable conditions and with a good educational process, a possible negative predisposition may not be realized or corrected, “covered up” by the influence of neighboring awakened genes, and a positive predisposition, sometimes hidden, may appear. Sometimes a person (child) simply does not know his capabilities, and categorically “putting an end to it”, saying that “a swan will not grow out of this ugly duckling” is dangerous.
Another danger, another risk is to waste time and energy on a person from whom nothing worthwhile can come out. They say that everyone is capable of becoming a genius, and theoretically it is. However, practically one needs thirty years for this, while the other needs three hundred years, and it is unprofitable to invest in such problem people. Athletic coaches argue (see Chapter 5, section “Personality”) that it is innate talent, and not training methodology, that is the most important factor in shaping a future champion.
If you were born brown-haired with green eyes and a “predisposition” to be overweight, then you can, of course, dye your hair and wear colored lenses, but you will still remain a green-eyed brown-haired woman. But whether your “predisposition” will be embodied in the “fifty-large” sizes worn by all your relatives largely depends on you. And even more so, it depends on you whether by the age of forty, sitting in this “fifty-large” size, you will scold the state and an unfinished life (as all your relatives do) or find yourself many other interesting activities.
Can a person change — sometime overcome, and sometime improve — his genetics? The answer to this question cannot be general, since this is also given individually genetically. In general, it is correct to say that the development of a child depends on inclinations and upbringing. However, in one person, from birth, 90% of the traits are due to his inclinations and only 10% can be added by education (unyielding child), in another, malleable (he is almost like a blank sheet), 10% depend on inclinations and 90% — from education: what to invest , then it will be. Both ratios are an innate characteristic of a person.
What is your or your child’s ratio? You can understand this only by experience, starting with your child (or with yourself). Get started! Genes set opportunities, and it depends on us how we implement them. If you have good genetics, you can make it even better and pass it on to your children as the most precious gift. There are observations that our DNA reflects what kind of childhood we had, that habits, skills, inclinations and even manners are inherited. If you have developed good manners, beautiful manners, set a good voice, accustomed yourself to the daily routine and responsibility, then there is a good chance that sooner or later this will enter the genotype of your descendants.
Genes determine our inclinations, abilities and inclinations, but not fate. Genes provide a launching pad for activity — for some it is better, for some it is worse. But what will be done on this basis is no longer the concern of genes, but of people: the person himself and those who are close to him.
Genes determine the makings, opportunities and inclinations, but not fate. They are a launching pad — for some it is better, for some it is worse. But what will be done on this basis depends on the person himself and his environment.
When thinking about genetics, it is important to remember that a person does not live and build himself alone. If you rely only on your own genetics, you can remain a savage.
We are surrounded by a culture that has been created by many generations for many hundreds of years, absorbing the best of everyone’s genetics. We are taught and we can learn. What is difficult to develop in oneself on one’s own can be developed by a teacher or coach: perhaps he has a genetically assigned amazing talent for this. People can help each other. What we can’t do alone, we’ll do together!â € ‹â €‹ â € ‹â €‹ â € ‹â €‹ â € ‹
Genetics can be improved — if not always in one’s own destiny, then definitely in the destiny of one’s family. Good luck genetics!
Chapter 3
Depending on how we represent the psychological structure of the personality, we build our work with it in different ways. In the synton approach, the main elements of the structure of a healthy personality from the point of view of its life activity are the orientation of the personality and its personal base: the worldview, experience and abilities of a person, his temperament and character, as well as body shape.
The cognitive sphere is everything that performs the function of rational cognition in a person: memory, attention, perception, understanding, thinking, decision-making, actions (to the extent that they relate to cognitive processes, and not anything else — drives, entertainment ). Oversimplifying, we can say that this is competence and knowledge, skills and abilities, the mind in its broadest sense (see Chapter 3, section «Cognitive Sphere»).
Affective sphere — all mental processes that cannot be modeled with the help of the mind. First of all, this is everything that is connected with the sphere of needs and motivation, with an emotional and sensual attitude to life and interaction with the world, oneself and people. Simplistically, these are feelings and premonitions, desires and impulses, motives and needs, impressions and experiences (see Chapter 3, section “Emotions, Feelings, Moods”; Chapter 7, section “Driving Forces of Human Behavior”).
Worldview — a general vision of the world and attitude towards it. The perception of the world can be positive and negative, realistic and mystical, childish and adult, male and female (see Chapter 3, section «Perception of the World»).
Self-concept is an important element of a person’s worldview (see Chapter 3, section «Me and Self-concept»).
Consciousness as a process is an energy (power) that illuminates the inner world of a person and makes the management of mental processes obvious and controllable. The unconscious in a broad sense is an area of the psyche that is not seen by consciousness (the unconscious area of the psyche) and in relation to which there is no subjective control. (see Chapter 3, section “Consciousness and the Unconscious”).
The orientation of the personality is what is really dear to a person, what he really strives for. An integral characteristic of the orientation of a personality is the ability of a person to determine his own goals and values, to be not just an organism, but a personality. (see Chapter 6, section «Man-organism»).
Experience is the knowledge, beliefs, skills and abilities of a person that have appeared in the process of life and work, including the style of his life and his habits.
Abilities are the most important tool of personality. The better they are developed in a person, the more he can do. The main abilities are mental, strong-willed, mental and bodily. There are also many particular abilities — musical, artistic, mathematical, for the assimilation of various skills (see Chapter 3, section «Abilities»).
Character, or psychotype, is a set of stable ways of behavior and a person’s natural response. Accordingly, they say that there are people by character (psychotype) calm and nervous, reasonable and impulsive, decisive and doubting, sprinters and stayers, etc. (see Chapter 3, section «Character»).
Temperament — the energy and dynamics of human behavior, brightness, strength and speed of his emotional response. The most common division of people according to the type of temperament is sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and melancholic (see Chapter 3, section «Temperament»).
Body drawing is made up of features of gait, posture, a certain set of gestures, characteristic facial expressions and habitual intonations (see Chapter 3, section «Body drawing. Expressive movements»).
The concept of personality includes many other important components (self-consciousness and roles, self-esteem and the level of claims, beliefs and values), but such detail is possible only when analyzing different levels of personality structure. These include: body level — health, image and body pattern; psychological level — temperament, character and abilities; social level — style and way of life, beliefs, social and personal roles (see Ch. 9, section «Persons and Roles»), personal level — life strategies and attitudes (see Ch. 11, section «Author and Victim») ”), the level of “I” is a life vision. It is important that, depending on the type and level of personality development, a person may have a different set of elements of the psychological structure and different relationships between them. For example, in a person-organism, his mind is subordinate to feelings, a person-personality does the opposite. Some people have a strong will, others don’t. Also, not everyone has a real «I» — a master who can manage the entire personal structure.
Cognitive sphere
Cognitive processes are mental processes that perform the function of rational cognition (from Latin cognitio — “knowledge”, “knowledge”, “study”, “realization”).
The term «cognitive» (cognitive processes, cognitive psychology and cognitive psychotherapy) gained popularity in the 1960s, during the fascination with cybernetics and electronic modeling of intellectual processes, which grew into the idea of representing a person as a complex biocomputer. The researchers tried to model all the processes that take place in the human psyche. Those of them that managed to be modeled were called cognitive, while the rest were called affective.
In practice, the concept of «cognitive processes» is used in a similar, but somewhat different sense: this is the name of mental processes that can be represented as a logical and meaningful sequence of actions for processing information. Cognitive processes include memory, attention, perception, understanding, thinking, decision-making and action — insofar as they relate to cognition, and not anything else (drives, entertainment). Simplifying greatly, we can say that this is competence and knowledge, skills and abilities. The following are some of the cognitive processes.
Rational perception is an analytical, critical perception, different from intuition and live impression.
“Ice cream is delicious, but it’s not good for a sore throat. Postpone!”
Rational understanding is understanding with the help of terms and logic, it is the opposite of empathy, empathy and empathy, that is, emotional and bodily ways of understanding.
Rational influence is explanations and beliefs that appeal to the human mind. Suggestion, emotional infection, anchoring and other means that influence a person not through his mind are referred to as irrational means of influence (see Chapter 13).
Rational thinking is logical and conceptual thinking. It must be said that people in the process of life and communication do not always use it, quite successfully managing feelings, habits and automatisms (see Chapter 3, section «Habits and automatisms»), but when a person, as they say, «turns on his head» , he thinks (at least tries) rationally.
Emotions, as we have already said, are attributed mainly to affective processes. But some emotions arise quite naturally, as a result of understandable programs, established habits, or certain benefits, and in these cases can be attributed to cognitive processes. Or, to put it differently, one can study the cognitive component of such emotions.
Attention
He who wants to see everything at once will see nothing. If we react to all the signals coming from outside, then our behavior will become chaotic. Attention is an information selection system that allows us to perceive only information that is significant to us, helping us to respond only to what is important or interesting to us.
Attention is the concentrated energy of consciousness directed to a particular object. Attention can be likened to a ray of light: what it is directed to becomes clearer for us, illuminated by consciousness. However, attention is not only light, but also energy, which gives a person the opportunity to better control what he directed it to in himself.
By directing attention to our hands, we can feel their relaxation and heaviness. Attention is the energy that helps to change tension into relaxation.
By carefully monitoring our movements, we make them more accurate. Choosing words carefully, we find the best of them.
Another common metaphor for attention is the thread that ties us to something. The person to whom our attention is drawn all the time is initially interesting to us, after which he becomes significant, and then loved. Why? Because lively attention is usually followed by small, but actions. Attention is called not only an internal mental process, but also worldly care, expressing a warm attitude towards someone or something.
He gave his hand, listened to the end, opened the door and let me go ahead — all these are everyday manifestations of attention.
Cognitive processes are a logical and meaningful sequence of actions for processing information. These are memory, attention, perception, understanding, thinking, decision-making, actions — insofar as they relate to cognition.
What we pay attention to becomes important, vitally valuable for us (see Chapter 8, section «Life Values»). If we begin to pay attention to any person, he becomes more and more significant to us.
Involuntary, voluntary and post-voluntary attention
So, attention allows us to perceive only significant and interesting information for us. What is important to us, what is of interest to us?
Involuntary attention usually reacts to everything new, bright, loud and moving. Arbitrary and post-arbitrary — to what we choose ourselves.
Involuntary attention was developed in the process of evolution and is directly related to our survival.
Suddenly, a twig snapped in the silence. Attention! Maybe it’s a predator? Or maybe this is my prey, which is trying to hide from me?
Involuntary attention also plays a role in gender relations: thus, from century to century, girls attract the attention of young people with bright jewelry, cheerful loud laughter and plastic movements of the shoulders and hips.
Involuntary attention turns us to those things and events that may be important to us. However, this useful mechanism has its drawbacks: in this case, we do not control the situation, but it controls us.
For example, a child is sitting in a lesson, and he needs to solve a problem, and not look at sparrows merrily jumping on the windowsill. Preparation for school begins with the fact that children are taught to be attentive, not to be distracted, to pay attention not to what suddenly interested them, but to the words of the teacher and what is written in the textbook. A good school teaches a child to manage his attention — thanks to her for that!
Voluntary attention is the most useful and most important tool. Even children are able to focus on some subject or task for a while, not because they are interested, but because they need to. The better we can arbitrarily control the concentration and focus of our attention, the easier we can cope with various life tasks. In addition, over time, the usual focus of attention ceases to cause tension, and voluntary attention turns into post-voluntary attention, which does not require any additional effort.
The ability to manage one’s own attention is formed like any other skill, but is used only when a person is used to it, considers it necessary or interesting.
Attention management
Although voluntary focus and concentration is taught even in preparation for school, many people are still somehow convinced that attention cannot be controlled, and what it turned out to be directed to is the only possible reality: “What else can you see here?” They are sure that the environment (internal or external) forces them to focus on certain subjects in the way they do it. They deny their own participation in choosing what to switch attention to and what stimuli to pick out from the kaleidoscope of information, and argue that these stimuli force them to look and focus in a certain way.
An anxious client automatically focuses on their fears as soon as they feel the slightest excitement. The depressed client is convinced that once she feels sad and hopeless, she will not be able to switch to anything else …
This is not entirely true. If our attention is not subject to us, it will guide us, but if we learn to manage it, we can do a lot. And this will be the first step to managing your life and actions. By managing our own and other people’s attention, we can make important and interesting what we need. Sounds good, but what exactly to manage?
Traditionally, attention has the following properties (characteristics): concentration, stability, volume, direction, switchability, ability to parallel processes. These properties develop in the course of life, but for those who want to live more meaningfully and productively, it makes sense to additionally and purposefully train them.
Attention is energy, and by consciously directing it in the right direction, you start the processes you need. Start with yourself. If you want to do something important for yourself, then, if possible, place this object in your field of vision. From the field of vision, the object will fall into the field of attention: you will remember, think, maybe start doing something useful, take the first steps in the right direction. The most important thing is that the object is right in front of your nose.
You may not consider yourself a fan of sweets and soda, but if there is a bottle of lemonade and sweets on your table, you will certainly pour yourself and have a bite in the near future. This will happen simply because these items have attracted your attention.
If you want to finally get into fitness, then sports equipment is best placed in the line of attention: for example, dumbbells should be in plain sight, and not under the bed.
Concentration of attention
Children easily focus on what they like and instantly become distracted about what they are not interested in and do not want to do. The concentration of children’s attention should not be taught so much (they know how!), How much to accustom to it. Adults, at least many of them, need to be taught to concentrate, and this skill is extremely important.
The ray of attention is the energy that we can control, and the circle of attention is the area to which we distribute the energy of attention. Increasing the circle of attention, we make attention wider, reducing it — more concentrated. Concentration is the narrowing of the circle of attention, or, more precisely, the maintenance of its strictly necessary size. Attention does not always have to be pinpointing, sometimes it is necessary to look at a wide area.
Special forces are taught to disperse their attention so that in dangerous areas one can see everything around at once, instantly reacting to danger emanating from any direction. An experienced driver behind the wheel does not look at any particular point, but at the whole road. If he suddenly focuses his attention on a billboard or a conversation with a fellow traveler, he will be distracted from the wide vision of the road and may have an accident.
However, in situations where there is no danger, and the task is difficult, you need to be able to narrow your circle of attention, concentrate on a narrow task, so that nothing distracts you, so that nothing else exists for you for some time.
Narrowing the circle of attention, concentrating on the most important, we act in this area as efficiently as possible. What we focus on begins to stand out as a clear figure against a general vague background. This skill is developed through training.
Beam control
What to pay attention to and what not, we decide for ourselves — of course, provided that we can manage it. There are many exercises that train the control of the ray of attention, only the simplest ones are suggested here, for example.
Exercise «Line»
On a blank sheet of paper, very slowly and smoothly draw a line with a pencil and focus all thoughts and attention only on it. As soon as you catch yourself in a distraction, make a small peak upward, as on a cardiogram, and continue. At the end, it is easy to count the number of distractions. A good level of concentration if there is not a single peak in three minutes.
Exercise «Colorblind»
With outward simplicity, this is a rather difficult exercise. Write two or three dozen color names on a piece of paper: red, blue, green, purple, etc. (you can repeat). And for each word, use a pencil or felt-tip pen of the “wrong” color. And when reading, say the color of the word aloud. It is the color, not what is written. Well, if after training you managed to do it without mistakes.
Exercise «Fly»
Imagine a field for playing tic-tac-toe, three by three. In the central cell of the field — a fly (or other insect). Task: to move the fly so that it does not go beyond the boundaries of the field, and without losing it from the focus of attention. There are only four moves: up, down, right, left. The fly does not walk diagonally, it does not reverse — this is considered a mistake. Of course, you need to move the fly only mentally, you can’t draw a field on paper — the game loses its meaning. It is more interesting to play with two, three or more, it is more difficult for one. If you lasted five minutes without errors, this is a good level of concentration.
Exercise «Two flies»
A more difficult version of the previous exercise. There are two flies on the field: fly-1 and fly-2. They walk in turn, for example: «fly-1 — up», «fly-2 — to the right.» The rules and task are the same as in the first version of the exercise: mentally not to lose flies and not make mistakes. Three minutes without errors is a good result.
Perception
Perception is the mental process of forming the image of objects and phenomena of the external world.
Unlike sensations, which reflect only individual properties and qualities of objects, perception is holistic and objective. Figuratively, we can say that perception is a convoluted thinking.
An image, a picture of a situation is created on the basis of primary sensations, with the application of knowledge, expectations, desires, moods and fantasies.
Perception is primary and secondary, arbitrary (managed) and not, personal and social. There are many other characteristics of the process of perception: subjectivity of perception, modalities of perception (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, digital), etc.
You can control your own perception. Does it need to be done every second? Hardly. But in difficult and conflict situations, such a skill is useful.
There are a lot of types of perception, and they are changeable. If you have one knowledge, and your friend or colleague has another, then you will look at the world in different ways. Therefore, even if something seems obvious to you, discuss and clarify it, there will be less disputes. Otherwise, who is to blame?
Perception and emotional response are interconnected: just as your emotions determine your perception, the way you perceive largely determines your emotions. What perception of the situation you will create, from what position you look at it, you will get such an emotion.
Positions of perception — the position of the observer in the internal space relative to the perceived object. These are certain points of view that a person takes when perceiving a particular life situation, as well as the conditions associated with this.
To see something, you need to look at it, directing your attention, and do it from some position, point of view. It depends on what you see. By changing the position of perception, you change your perception of what happened.
Positions of perception are those or other points of view that a person takes when perceiving a particular life situation, as well as the states associated with this. You can control your perception. By changing the position of perception, you change your assessment of what is happening.
In the synton approach, a certain standard has been developed, according to which the main positions of perception have their own conditional numbers, namely: zero position (ignoring one’s own perception of the current situation, lack of one’s own point of view), first (I am in the position of I), second (I am in the position of the Other ), third (position of an outside observer), fourth (systemic view), fifth (position of the Angel).
Zero position of perception: forgetfulness of self-interest
To say that all people are always thinking about themselves and looking after personal interests (interest — increased attention, mental attraction, mental attraction to something or someone) is to think too well of humanity. Many people, when they live and act, do not think about anything at all, are lazy or afraid to turn to their own mind, thoughtlessly obeying the expectations of others or the requirements of the situation. In such cases, one speaks of the absence of one’s own position, or, in other words, of the zero position of perception.
The zero position of perception is the replacement of one’s own perception and initiative with an uncontrolled choice from the existing set of stereotypes of perception and behavior.
Zero position is the basis of thoughtless existence, patterned and driven behavior. We can say that in the zero position of perception, a person acts like a robot, living not his own, but someone else’s life.
If a person in his development has remained at the level of a trained animal, does not reach for culture and does not use the mind, living with reflexes, instincts and built-in social patterns, he does not rise above the zero position of perception in his response. It happens that even developed people fall into the zero position of perception when they are lazy, tired and blind to what is happening and their interests, replacing live perception with stereotyped ones, creative thinking with intellectual templates, free communication with surrogates of mass culture…
The zero position of perception is the replacement of one’s own perception and initiative with a set of stereotypes of perception and behavior. Many people are afraid to turn to their own minds and succumb to the expectations of others or the demands of the situation.
Why think when there are habitual rituals? Mom wants to feed the child because it needs to be done, and at the same time it does not matter to her that he does not want to eat. She says, «Eat immediately!» — but this only means that she said so, and not that she will follow the process and the goal will be achieved. At this moment, mother does not use thinking.
Fears, anger, resentment, other strong emotions also block the mind and make a person react thoughtlessly. Dependence on habits that replace the mind and wean a person to think leads to the same result.
Smokers do not smoke because inhaling tobacco smoke gives them pleasure, they do not even notice when the hand itself reaches for a cigarette. This is a bad habit.
The habit is also thoughtless submission to the expectations of others and a tendency to field behavior. Often a thoughtless life is the choice of the person himself, who is afraid of responsibility and exploits the position of the Victim (see Chapter 11, section «Author and Victim»).
The zero position of perception has both minuses and pluses. The obvious disadvantages include the fact that the habit of living in the zero position of perception makes people thoughtless, led, underdeveloped.
Most children are born quite alive and active, but it can be difficult for unprepared parents to deal with them, and, as they say, “first a child is taught to walk and talk, and then to sit and be silent.” Shouts, slaps, “don’t go, don’t touch, you won’t succeed, you still don’t know how” — this is how a young person is taught that the less he is, the better. How powerful is such an impact, so strong is the child’s position of the follower, the position “turn off your mind and listen to what they tell you.” Those children who were less subjected to this pressure or had an innate core of independence later become either ill-mannered people (hooligans), or leaders and creators. Sometimes both at the same time.
On the other hand (and this is a plus), a child who listens and obeys smart adults without internal resistance has a great chance to quickly learn from the experience of elders and join the existing culture.