We often use our attention in two distinct ways: like a flashlight or like a candle.
Flashlight attention means focusing narrowly on one thing. It’s how we usually concentrate during the day. For instance, right now, you’re likely focusing solely on these words, building their meaning in your mind. You probably aren’t aware of sensations like the feeling of your seat beneath you, your shirt touching your back, or the air flowing through your nostrils until they’re pointed out.
On the flip side, candle attention spreads awareness in all directions. This approach allows you to be mindful of everything happening around you—your entire body, your breathing, external sounds, etc. While your perceptions won’t be as detailed as with the flashlight method, using a candle-like awareness can quickly create a sense of calm.
Many people haven’t experienced this candle form of attention. Typically, we shine our attention on one thing after another throughout the day, whether we’re in conversation, working on a computer, checking social media, or eating. The constant shifting of our focus can be exhausting.
This doesn’t mean that when we focus on one thing, that’s all we experience. Often, we might be lost in thought while driving, performing the driving tasks automatically. Or we might watch TV while eating and hardly notice our food, or read a book and miss people talking to us.
In meditation, people often try to use flashlight attention, narrowing their focus to a small part of their experience. When they meditate, they might concentrate on just the center of their chest while breathing. The problem with this narrow focus is that whenever a thought arises, their attention switches to it, and they become engrossed in that thought. Realizing they’re distracted, they then try to bring their focus back to the breathing, repeating this cycle repeatedly.
The candle approach involves softening your eyes. Let your gaze rest without focusing on anything specific, and start noticing everything in your visual field. Become aware of sounds, smells, and other sensory information around you. Expand your awareness to your entire body, from where it touches the floor to the crown of your head.
You can still focus on your breathing, but now you’ll notice sensations throughout your whole body instead of just one small area. Your sense of the body will be less detailed and more general, but that’s completely fine. The experience will be richer and more engaging.
When thoughts arise, they’ll be just one part of the broader sensory landscape that the candle is illuminating. Because your attention isn’t fixed on these thoughts, they won’t dominate your mind as they typically do. You’ll find that thoughts drift through your awareness like clouds in the sky without bothering you.
This candle-like attention is relaxing. Rather than feeling like you’re working to stay aware, you can simply rest with awareness of what’s already there. This shift in perception brings about calmness more easily and quickly than you might have experienced previously. Even those who have struggled with meditation for years suddenly find tranquility through this technique.
Having a candle-like awareness is not just a minor adjustment; it can be a profoundly transformative shift in how you experience the world.