Hi,

I've started the home study course and would like to know where I can post my questions on certain things ?

I wrote a message to Bruce a while back, he didn't have the time to reply yet, so I was wondering if I could post them here.

Being french, certain subtleties escape me when I translate from english. Although I think my english is pretty good...hem!

First: the little finger exercice and placing intent.

Do I understand correctly that it is developping a state of anxious awaiting ?  A sort of a stage-fright build up. Bruce wrote that it is comparable to when you have your foot on the pedal and waiting for the lights to turn green, an anxious waiting.

Second:  Dealing with rambling thoughts.

These will do for a start, and I thank you for your help.

Wecome Gerald maybe some others can help us here with the little finger bending idea.

I've thought about it some..even took me little pinky and slowly bent it while asking Bruce in my mind.."like this?" ha ha!

I think you are close to getting it. very close! except for using the word anxiousness.

probably a better word to replace that one is "standing at attention."

now, I've never been in the army, but I imagine how the soldiers are trained to stand at attention. I imagine what they must be thinking while they are standing at attention. probably they are not thinking the car needs to be lubed or nothing like that...

it appears the army set up the men that way to prepare them for combat action, to make them obediant to command.

maybe the mind is like that...we can make our minds stand at attention...a place of readiness for action...the light will turn green any minute...then the action will start..in the meantime hold the reins tight and feel the power of attention under that hood and hope that all pistons are firing in time...

(my cars being tuned up)

Gerald:

I don't know what Bruce wrote about rambling thoughts, but I found that it is best to not fight them. All you do is give them life when you do so. Instead, try to find some meditational subject to focus on, and focus you're attention there.

If you don't have a meditational subject to focus on, try focusing on the awareness/consciousness you are. From this perspective it's irelevant what thoughts occur, because they all point to the awareness you are.

Hi Gerald,

To control your "rambling thoughts", you can try to look at and concentrate on the blackness you see when you close your eyes.  Don't use your mind's eye, but act like you can actually see the blackness with your physical eyes.  Then concentrate on only doing that.  If your thoughts wander and you start to see other things with your "mind's eye", then just remind yourself that you are to only look at the blackness. 

To get into the habit of seeing "as if with your physical eyes", you can train yourself to feel your eye muscles as if they are focusing on something in front of you.  If you relax those muscles it is easier for your thoughts to wander.

At least this has been my experience, so I hope you can use this advice too. 
Love, Vicky 



PS-Alysia, that was a great analogy!