C. Determinants of Attention
It seems that both reducing mind monkeys and capturing attention toward the meditation object involve the same solution. Indeed, that solution lies within attention itself, along with its close collaborator—Working Memory (WM)—and the factors that influence them.
1. Types of Attention[1]
As mentioned earlier, attention can be described through three core characteristics: quantity, quality, and resulting effectiveness.
+ Based on the number of observed objects, attention can be divided into two types: passive and active. As attention increases, it naturally reduces the number of objects it can monitor. Otherwise, WM becomes overloaded trying to process too much information. This type of attention—active, selective, and intentional—is the one we aim to cultivate during meditative concentration. In contrast, passive attention allows incoming information (sounds, images, etc.) to come and go without overloading WM, since no deep processing is required. These stimuli are like passing tourists.
+ Based on quality, attention can be split into overt and covert. When we focus on an object, two things happen: our eyes fixate on it, and our mind evaluates it. When both the visual focus and mental engagement are aligned and directed at the same object, that’s overt attention, which yields the highest quality focus. But if the eyes are on the object while the mind drifts elsewhere—like staring at the teacher but daydreaming about a female classmate—that’s covert attention, and its quality is poor.
+ The effectiveness of attention likely depends on whether there's a clear goal. Are we meditating to enter samādhi, to perceive other realms, to seek liberation, etc.? Naturally, the Law of Correspondence plays a decisive role here.
2. Influencing Factors
Thus, what we need for meditation is attention that is active, overt, and goal-oriented. This type of attention is strongly influenced—or activated—by several key factors:
+ Complexity and difficulty of the task or object. A more mentally demanding subject will draw more attention.
+ Specific goals to be achieved. For instance, needing to solve one calculation before moving to the next, or completing a task within a time limit (time pressure).
+ Interest and curiosity about the object. If we enjoy challenges and want to explore how a problem unfolds, attention will naturally follow.[2] (Note: enjoying easy problems counts as interest, too—but it won’t push WM to its limits.)
+ Perceived benefit. If something offers value, it will attract attention.[3] In meditation, this benefit is not material gain but the inner joy of reaching samādhi, experiencing calmness and silence—eventually attaining Santi (deep tranquility).
+ Willpower, determination, effort, and persistence are also crucial in gathering the mind and directing attention toward the object. The stronger the attention, the greater and more stable the focus. At that point, internal and external distractions can be more easily ignored.[4]
3. Working Memory (WM)
Working Memory and attention are two central components of psychological and cognitive functioning—they’re like your left and right hands. If the tip of the iceberg (short-term memory) is the playground for mind monkeys, then WM and attention are the caretakers of that space. While WM handles short-term processing and storage, attention filters incoming information and maintains continuity during the processing. WM has a limited capacity—its load[5], —and that load depends on various factors. Interestingly, the factors affecting WM capacity are similar to those that draw attention.
Cognitive Load Theory and Interference Theory[6] both explore what impacts WM capacity and recall ability. Key influencing factors include:
+ Time pressure — needing to complete a calculation or action within a tight timeframe.
+ Extraneous elements — features not essential to the task (e.g., colored numbers in a math problem) but still must be remembered.
+ Familiarity with the task or content—unfamiliar material is harder to retain.
End of Part 3/5
Notes:
[1] For more on attention, see Scientific Meditation.
[2] See Navalpakkam, Kumar, Li, and Sivakumar, 2012. Attention and selection in online choice tasks. Springer-Verlag Berlin Hedkelberg.
[3] See Anderson, Laurent, and Yantis, 2011. Value-driven attentional capture. PNAS 108(25), 10368–10371.
[4] See Sorqvist, Dahlstrom, Karlsson, and Ronnberg, 2016. Concentration: The neural underpinnings of how cognitive load shields against distraction. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 10, 1–10. Sorqvist, Marsh, 2015. How concentration shields against distraction. Current Directions in Psychological Science 24(4), 267–272.
[5] See Section III in Nhập Định_Tâm Lượng Tử for several computational models related to WM load and degradation speed.
[6] For a deeper understanding, refer to the Cognitive Load Theory section in Scientific Meditation and the Interference Theory section in Quantum Mind.