Attention

So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also to the feeling of what is being conveyed, to the whole of it, not part of it.
Jiddu Krishnamurti

In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us.
Virginia Woolf

Wiktionary's definition of attention is simply: Mental focus. This is an extremely narrow definition and I think this shows how little attention is given to the action of attending. Wikipedia's article on attention is interesting yet still it retains the narrow definition:
Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. Attention has also been referred to as the allocation of processing resources.

Why must attention be a a fragmented action? Why must we always focus on one aspect of the Unified Field (All That Is). Can we not discipline our mind to increasingly widen the scope of our attention? Concentration of focus is a useful tool when used consciously as a tool to solve practical problems or visualize solutions or new creations. In general life, all the time not spend focusing on a specific project, should be not attend to the total field of life simultaneously? The mind is aware of all input but our goal-oriented, image dominated minds result in habitual narrow focus of conscious attention. The domination of images in our mind is due to the fact that to communicate with each other we must use images or image connotators. Remember the word is not the thing. Total self-honesty means understanding to every word, idea, image is only an approximation, an unreal abstract idea. Communication is a very useful tool but inside know that images are only a small subset of the Unified Field. Attend to everything not just this small subset.

Attention is the foundational action from which all actions, including the actions of sensing, thought and visualization. To sense our environment we attend to our sensory apparatus. Every time we think this is an action resulting from attention to a particular idea or image. Our core conscious being in my opinion is attention. "I think therefore I am" should be "I attend therefore I am" because thinking is simply attending to ideas and visualizations. Animals are aware of their surroundings and themselves but they are not aware that they are aware. I believe we pay attention but we do not pay attention to the movement of our stream of attention. Our attention stream bounces from one narrow focus to another and the processes and reasons why are not attended to.

It is important to consciously attend to as much as possible every moment. A dedicated effort of attention to the self will lead to an every increasing understanding of self. As you attend to feelings and thoughts throughout the day don't simply be aware of them but continual attend to the results of these feelings and thoughts. Understand the consequences inside yourself of a feeling. Begin to understand the interplay between thoughts and feelings. Study why a thought or feeling was attended to. Attend to the source of this directing of your attention. This continual attention to your natural processes will eventually lead to attending to attention. Pay attention to what your are attending to and why. Continually dig deeper. Pay attention to your intentions, the causes of their formation, their growth patterns, and their results. In the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti : " Attention is like a fire." It continually burns the sensory fuel vaporizing images.

You have all witnessed a person consumed with anger or sorrow who literally becomes the feeling. We want to say, "Hey friend, relax." If the person begins to pay attention to their actions the anger dissipates. In the same way, fragmented focus on one object, thought, or feeling leaves the rest of the universe unattended to.

Attention to attention is an internal recursive feedback loop which begins to raise your awareness above the attention to feeling or attention to thought. Attention to attention leads to awareness and understanding of your awareness beyond thought and emotion. It also leads to the broadening of the focus of conscious attention. Synthesense is attention to all aspects simultaneously. With no one sense (including emotions and thoughts) dominant balance between all sensory apparatus is achieved. A calm clear head and intense passion exist simultaneously. Attention to attention is attention to a Unified Sense. Attention is your Unified Sense. The Unified Sense is all senses impacting the body and mind each moment at simultaneously.

Understanding oneness is the realization that All That Is is not fragmented, not made of a collection of individual parts and forces. Your total Unified Sense is the awareness of all the world around you, all the different vibrations of energy which reflect off of or pass through your body and are interpreted by different sensory apparatus.

I have heard this action referred to on the internet as Double Attention Apparently GI Gurdjieff coined the turn in his philosophical writings. He said that the ordinary man's willy-nilly stream of attention to objects is actually inattention. Attention actually is attention to attention hence the term double attention.

We must remember that attention is not a thought or idea. Attention is an action. Attention is the action of one being aware.