I want to learn to mentally focus for a longer period of time (e.g.
when studying/absorbing a research paper).  Can
extended mental concentration be developed?  If so, can you direct me
to some exercises, activities, or resources to help me improve my
ability to maintain mental focus and attention?

For example, I've heard that playing Go improves concentration.  I'm
looking for similar activities or purely mental exercises (e.g. sit
completely still for 10 minutes).

It'd be nice to have cited evidence that such activities do improve
mental concentration.

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Request for Question Clarification by sublime1-ga on 06 Oct 2005 13:57 PDT

stubestu...

Certainly games and activities which require concentration will
help to develop this skill. Practicing any skill will result in
improvement. However, I've learned that another major factor in
focusing attention is the elimination of obstacles. Practice
alone won't accomplish this.

The AvatarŪ Course, which I've taken and am licensed to deliver,
is the best way I know to improve concentration. While the course
has a much broader scope than that, the first part of the course,
called ReSurfacing, consists of a workbook with 30 exercises which
are designed to re-familiarize you with the nature and power of
attention.

Using simple language and experiential exercises, it defines and
awareness, consciousness, attention, and will, and assists you in
strengthening your use of them.

In Avatar terms, will is the ability to place attention where you
choose, and hold it there as long as you wish, so will has a lot
to do with concentration. The ability to focus attention requires
what, in Avatar, is called free attention. If someone has enough
free attention, they can easily place it where they choose for as
long as they wish. 

What causes difficulties is fixed attention. This is attention 
which has become trapped in unresolved emotions and thoughts
based on past experiences. ReSurfacing includes an exercise
called Releasing Fixed Attention which can greatly assist in
freeing attention from such things. ReSurfacing also includes
many other exercises which assist in developing will, detecting
limiting beliefs, and much more. 

Many of these exercises have been published in the free Avatar
Journal which is published several times a year.

There are online archives of the Journal on Avatar's site, here:
http://www.avatarepc.com/html/journal.html

...and on AvatarOverdrive.com here:
http://www.avataroverdrive.com/avatar_journal/avatar_journal_archive.htm

You can sign up for a free subscription to the Journal here:
http://www.avatarepc.com/html/freejournal.html

The Releasing Fixed Attention and other exercise from
ReSurfacing can be found on the websites of many Avatar
Masters (licensed to deliver the course), such as the
Avatar Awakenings site:
http://avatarawakenings.com/releasing_fixed_attention.htm

You can locate many of the 30 exercises in ReSurfacing by
doing a Google search for:

"Exercise 1" ReSurfacing

...and changing the number from 1 to 30.


The Avatar Mini-Courses are also free to download, in PDF
format, and present some of the same concepts and exercises
as can be found in ReSurfacing:

Mini-Course 1: The Avatar Personal Integrity Course
Mini-Course 2: The Avatar Basic Attention Management Course
Mini-Course 3: The Avatar Basic Will Course
Mini-Course 4: The Avatar Creating Definition Course
Mini-Course 5: The Forgiveness Option
Mini-Course 6: Belief Management
Mini-Course 7: The Avatar Basic Life Alignment Course

Full descriptions of the contents of each Mini-Course
can be found on this page, along with links to the PDFs:
http://www.avatarepc.com/html/mini-eng.html

Finally, you can purchase the ReSurfacing Workbook here,
for $15:
http://www.avatarepc.com/html/resurfacing.html

The other book which is used for the first part of the
Avatar Course is Living Deliberately. It was written by
Harry Palmer, the author of the Avatar materials. It's
available as a free download in PDF format here:
http://www.avatarepc.com/html/bookstore.html

Let me know what you think...

sublime1-ga

I got good grades in school, but it wasn't from using extended mental
concentration; it was from using some of these "tricks":

1) Psychologists have proven people remember the first and last
elements in a series better than they recall the middle. You can prove
this to yourself, by, say, looking at a random phone number for a
second, waiting for a bit, and then writing it down. See? The first
and last 1 or 2 digits are easier to recall than the middle. The
lesson? Its easier to absorb information in quick "bursts" than in
extended sessions (yes, this advice is contrary to your goal of
absorbing material during long sessions, but it works).

2) Involve as many senses and activities as you can during and after
your study. For example, simply recalling what you've just read is ok,
but speaking aloud is better. Writing and speaking about what you've
read is even better.

3) Physical fitness improves blood flow to the brain, therefore
memorization too (stimulants, like coffee and candy, help too, but
only up to a point).

Thoreau's tells how to concentrate in his book Walden.  Read the
chapter entitled "Higher Laws" where he describes what he calls the
"beginning of genius."

Napoleon Hill in his classic, Think and Grow Rich, spoke of the same
technique in the chapter in his book called "The Mystery of Sex
Transmutation."

Leonardo da Vinci spoke of the technique in his notebooks.  

Benjamin Franklin broaches it in his Autobiography.  

If you want to read practically how to apply the technique, see my
book Anytime...for as Long as You Want:  Strength, Genius, Libido, &
Erection by Intgrative Sex Transmutation.  There's a description on my
web site...http://TempleRepair.com.

All of these books, including mine, can be found on Amazon.com

Good Luck!

Sincerely,
Charles Runels, MD
http://TempleRepair.com
251-625-2612

Check medicalcountries.org under Alternative Medical Systems. If you
use a pencil, when you are reading, to note each time your mind
wanders gradually your attention improves. Frequently ones attention
goes to some unsolved problems. Solving these problems ones mind is
going to, improves attention.

I have been searching for the same thing and have found a lot of great
books on the subject. Two books that are really exceptional are
"Pumping Ions" By:Tom Wujec and "Brain Building" By:Marilyn Vos
Savant. Pumping Ions is full of exercises for various mental
abilities.(i.e., attention, concentration, problem solving, creative
thinking, etc.) Brain Building is also amazing and is written by the
person with the highest I.Q. in the world! You can find these on
Amazon and maybe in your local library.
I hope this helps.