The Usefulness of Science
To better understand the approach described above, I need to borrow some knowledge I’ve picked up from psychology and neuroscience. First, let me clarify: I only use the pieces that I find relevant (and that seem true) to the path toward one-pointedness, as experienced through meditation. Also, let’s agree on one thing: for our purposes, mind and consciousness are the same. Whether I use the term “mind” or “consciousness” is just for convenience in explanation (because trying to strictly distinguish them doesn't seem to help my meditation practice in any meaningful way). There are three points I want to address before summarizing the approach:
(i) A general classification of consciousness,
(ii) The Cognitive Load Theory,
(iii) 3. The mechanism of attention and focus.
1. TYPES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Here, I borrow Sigmund Freud’s model of consciousness.[1] In this “iceberg” model[2] , the tip of the iceberg above the surface—the Conscious part—is where the monkeys of the wandering mind run wild. This conscious portion includes thoughts, awareness, and recognition of events or phenomena happening in and around us in a clear, direct way.
Just below the surface is the Subconscious. This part stores memories and accumulated knowledge. Even though we can't directly perceive it unless we actively bring it up, it still influences our mental behavior indirectly.
Deeper still are the Unconscious and the Ego/Self structure. This is likely the main engine that drives our psychology and behavior. This domain contains our core instincts—our primal drives for survival: sexual instincts, aggression, deep fears, inferiority complexes, shame, and even the darkest, most twisted desires we may have. This could very well be karmic energy—invisible but exerting enormous influence over the course of our lives.
In the short term, for the goal of entering meditative absorption (samādhi), the conscious tip of the iceberg is the part we can—and must—try to control. In the long term, by maintaining precepts, practicing regularly, refusing to give up, and gradually transforming how we live and act, we can hopefully begin to positively influence the subconscious and unconscious levels as well.
2. COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY[3]
Once we’ve identified that the conscious mind is the part we need to sink in order to eliminate wandering thoughts, the next step is to understand what contains this consciousness and how it operates. According to the consciousness model mentioned earlier, there are two systems that store consciousness: short-term memory, which contains the conscious mind (the surface-level awareness), and long-term memory, which stores the subconscious and unconscious. Short-term memory has a specific operational mechanism called Working Memory (WM)). This system receives and processes incoming information and holds it temporarily (for a few seconds) so it can be used in the next processing step—for example, doing a math problem. WM is intimately linked with consciousness, awareness, and alertness.[4] In meditation, WM becomes the perfect home for those wandering mind monkeys.
But as a “home,” WM has limitations—both in terms of capacity (how many chunks of information it can store) and duration (how long it can retain that information). These limitations are collectively referred to as Cognitive Load (CT). So, what are the main components of cognitive load? According to researchers, CL consists of three main types:
(1) Intrinsic Load (IL): This load depends on the nature of the information itself. For example, solving “2 + 2 = ?” is much easier than solving “82 + 151/2 = ?”. In the easy problem, WM doesn’t need much capacity to process the information. But in the harder one, WM may need to allocate all its resources just to find the answer.
(2) Extraneous Load (EL). This load is influenced by how the information is presented. For instance, whether it's presented visually or audibly, all at once or in fragments, or under time pressure (e.g., having to solve a complex problem within one minute). The more disorganized and chaotic the presentation, and the greater the time pressure, the more WM will have to exert effort to process it.
(3) Germane Load (GL). This is the load used for filtering and identifying useful information. If the incoming data contains irrelevant content, WM must expend effort to sort it out. For example, if we’re asked to find and sum all the number 2s in a list, then: if the input is “1, 4, 2, 45, 26, 2,” WM must work harder to find and isolate the 2s, whereas with “1, 2, 2,” WM needs far less effort.
These three types of load compete with one another to solve any given problem, because WM has limited total capacity. For example, a hard problem with clear, well-structured information and no time pressure will allow WM to devote most of its capacity to Intrinsic Load. An easy problem with clear info but very tight time constraints might have WM fully consumed by Extraneous Load. An easy problem with irrelevant or excessive data might have WM fully occupied with Germane Load just to filter out the noise before solving anything. Now, if a problem is hard, under time pressure, and the information is messy, then all three types of load (IL, EL, GL) will fiercely compete for space in WM. If the problem exceeds WM’s total capacity, it can lead to overload—WM may freeze, stall, or crash completely.
One more note: WM’s total load capacity is also affected by usage over time. Let’s say WM starts with 100% capacity. In the first second, it uses 5% to begin processing the problem—then it has 95% left. In the next second, it uses another 40%—leaving 55%. This accumulated load continues for some period (how long exactly, I don’t know). But if we drag out solving the problem too long, it may not lead to overload—the pressure eases over time.
(End of Part 3/8)
Notes:
[1] Wilhelm Wundt (German), William James (American), and Sigmund Freud (Austrian) are considered the founding fathers of modern psychology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud;
[2] https://www.simplypsychology.org/Sigmund-Freud.html; http://bvtt-tphcm.org.vn/vo-thuc-va-suc-manh-cua-no/
[3] See Sweller, Ayres, and Kalyuga, 2011. Cognitive Load Theory. ISBN: 978-1-4419-8126-4. Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York. https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9781441981257. Additionally, there’s the Perceptual Load Theory, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptual_load_theory. However, this theory doesn’t appear to differ significantly from Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). See also Sorqvist, Dahlstrom, Karlsson, and Rönnberg (2016). Concentration: The neural underpinnings of how cognitive load shields against distraction. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 10, 1–10.
[4] Some studies continue to debate the role of unconscious processes in Working Memory. See Persuh, LaRock, and Berger (2018). Working memory and consciousness: The current state of play. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 12, 1–11.
