The phenomenology of attentional control: a first-person approach to contemplative science and the issue of free will
There are two basic aspects of attentional control. The ability to direct attention toward different objects is typically experienced as a fundamental indicator of attentional freedom. One can control what one attends to and directing attention is a relatively simple task. In contrast, sustaining at...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349826/full |
| _version_ | 1797265483309776896 |
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| author | Terje Sparby Terje Sparby Terje Sparby Dirk Cysarz Dirk Cysarz David Hornemann v. Laer David Hornemann v. Laer David Hornemann v. Laer Friedrich Edelhäuser Friedrich Edelhäuser Friedrich Edelhäuser Diethard Tauschel Diethard Tauschel Diethard Tauschel Ulrich W. Weger Ulrich W. Weger |
| author_facet | Terje Sparby Terje Sparby Terje Sparby Dirk Cysarz Dirk Cysarz David Hornemann v. Laer David Hornemann v. Laer David Hornemann v. Laer Friedrich Edelhäuser Friedrich Edelhäuser Friedrich Edelhäuser Diethard Tauschel Diethard Tauschel Diethard Tauschel Ulrich W. Weger Ulrich W. Weger |
| author_sort | Terje Sparby |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There are two basic aspects of attentional control. The ability to direct attention toward different objects is typically experienced as a fundamental indicator of attentional freedom. One can control what one attends to and directing attention is a relatively simple task. In contrast, sustaining attention on a chosen object proves to be difficult as mind-wandering seems to be inevitable. Does the problem of sustaining attention, mean that we are fundamentally unfree? We discuss this issue in light of an introspective study of directing and sustaining attention, looking specifically into the question of whether it is possible to experience the source of attention, i.e., the subject enacting freedom through attention. The study involved six persons performing different attention tasks over the course of about a month. Common experiences and contrasting reports are presented. This forms the basis for a discussion of the method of introspection and in particular of how to approach conflicting reports. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:45:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-caad2c9ef94e4c11b928f5bd3587b10c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:45:31Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-caad2c9ef94e4c11b928f5bd3587b10c2024-03-12T04:58:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782024-03-011510.3389/fpsyg.2024.13498261349826The phenomenology of attentional control: a first-person approach to contemplative science and the issue of free willTerje Sparby0Terje Sparby1Terje Sparby2Dirk Cysarz3Dirk Cysarz4David Hornemann v. Laer5David Hornemann v. Laer6David Hornemann v. Laer7Friedrich Edelhäuser8Friedrich Edelhäuser9Friedrich Edelhäuser10Diethard Tauschel11Diethard Tauschel12Diethard Tauschel13Ulrich W. Weger14Ulrich W. Weger15Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyIntegrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Psychology (ICURAP), Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyRudolf Steiner University College, Oslo, NorwayInstitute of Integrative Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyIntegrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Medicine (ICURAM), Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyIntegrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Psychology (ICURAP), Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyIntegrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Medicine (ICURAM), Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyWittenLab. Zukunftslabor Studium Fundamentale, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyIntegrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Psychology (ICURAP), Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyInstitute of Integrative Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyIntegrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Medicine (ICURAM), Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyIntegrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Psychology (ICURAP), Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyInstitute of Integrative Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyIntegrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Medicine (ICURAM), Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyDepartment of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyIntegrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Psychology (ICURAP), Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, GermanyThere are two basic aspects of attentional control. The ability to direct attention toward different objects is typically experienced as a fundamental indicator of attentional freedom. One can control what one attends to and directing attention is a relatively simple task. In contrast, sustaining attention on a chosen object proves to be difficult as mind-wandering seems to be inevitable. Does the problem of sustaining attention, mean that we are fundamentally unfree? We discuss this issue in light of an introspective study of directing and sustaining attention, looking specifically into the question of whether it is possible to experience the source of attention, i.e., the subject enacting freedom through attention. The study involved six persons performing different attention tasks over the course of about a month. Common experiences and contrasting reports are presented. This forms the basis for a discussion of the method of introspection and in particular of how to approach conflicting reports.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349826/fullattentionfreedomfirst-person perspectiveintrospectioncontemplative science |
| spellingShingle | Terje Sparby Terje Sparby Terje Sparby Dirk Cysarz Dirk Cysarz David Hornemann v. Laer David Hornemann v. Laer David Hornemann v. Laer Friedrich Edelhäuser Friedrich Edelhäuser Friedrich Edelhäuser Diethard Tauschel Diethard Tauschel Diethard Tauschel Ulrich W. Weger Ulrich W. Weger The phenomenology of attentional control: a first-person approach to contemplative science and the issue of free will Frontiers in Psychology attention freedom first-person perspective introspection contemplative science |
| title | The phenomenology of attentional control: a first-person approach to contemplative science and the issue of free will |
| title_full | The phenomenology of attentional control: a first-person approach to contemplative science and the issue of free will |
| title_fullStr | The phenomenology of attentional control: a first-person approach to contemplative science and the issue of free will |
| title_full_unstemmed | The phenomenology of attentional control: a first-person approach to contemplative science and the issue of free will |
| title_short | The phenomenology of attentional control: a first-person approach to contemplative science and the issue of free will |
| title_sort | phenomenology of attentional control a first person approach to contemplative science and the issue of free will |
| topic | attention freedom first-person perspective introspection contemplative science |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1349826/full |
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