Too many times, I hear from directees who say they have trouble sitting for an hour for mental prayer or almost any length of time no matter how brief. And during that time, they describe the many different distractions from everyday chores to be done, to worry and concern for family members, and even silly thoughts. Becoming exasperated and eventually exhausted in trying to 'control' their minds they are left feeling discouraged and wanting to give up. Or worse criticizing themselves for not being able to 'do it right'.
The Brain/Body Mind
There may be health reasons for example where pain or certain disabilities prevent a lengthy time frame of sitting in silence. We know there are many clinical or non-clinical considerations that affect one’s mental activity regarding attentiveness.
In looking at how the brain functions, there is much we do not know, yet today we can observe many of the brain's operations while searching for more clues to the way God designed us; it still remains a mystery.
We have to remind ourselves as Fr. Phillipe writes, all is grace for prayer is not a method or ever restricted to time.
Prayer is where our heart meets Heart
Time
Interior (Mental) prayer can occur at any time, and for any length of time for it rises from the heart from the grace of the invitation from God, where the heart comes to meet the Heart.
Beginners to certain prayer methods, may need to become familiar with a few physiological limitations. It takes practice for the brain (with the mind) to build up to a length of time to stay attentive. There are neuroplastic changing that must take place in the brain over a period of time. It is similar to building up muscles or the repetition it takes to change a habit.
How to work with time
That is why it is an iterative process starting with 10 minutes and adding additional time little by little is how to begin any new practice.
Attention & Distraction
Our brains naturally wander, it’s called mind wondering here the mind easily slips back into the past then forward into the future, into the present, makes a detour on a different topic and starts another journey back into the future.
Thoughts and images will always flow in and out and around in our mind because our brain is always working in the background, it’s never sleeps. It has an automatic perceptive mechanism scanning the environment. We have a dorsal and ventral attentional system "where neither of the two networks controls attentional processes in isolation and that the flexible interaction between both systems enables the dynamic control of attention in relation to top-down goals and bottom-up sensory stimulation."(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4107817/)
It is similar to how one can ride a bike while talking to a friend at the same time.
How to increase attention and decrease distraction
It takes a practice of awareness to notice where we’ve been, and how we can bring ourselves back to the center, the center of our soul where heart (the soul) touch the Heart of God.
Or it is those daily items spinning around. **If so best write them down before you begin prayer.
Then do back to sitting with God and have a heart felt conversation or simply sitting together.
(The more we practice returning back to the center of our initial focus, the time between the wandering and noticing becomes less and less.) Soon those wanderings are less frequent, and those intrusive thoughts become less distracting.
Discernment of Spirits
We need be aware that the discernment of spirits is operational here.
First, notice. Are these thoughts or images good or not. Ours, the world's* or of God? Second, decide if this is something God wants to talk to us about? Or us with God?
*If the thoughts are of the enemy, we are to ignore them and say a prayer, then give no notice and return to the place that you last felt consoled.
Best not to have the attitude of "don't bother me I am praying" towards our thoughts.
Sometimes God has something to say about what we find distracting. It is best to bring them into prayer.
**If you have allot on your mind, such as tasks to do, best to write them down on paper before you begin and set them to the side. If there are concerns take them into prayer.
Many are able to listen attentively or notice more interiorly while externally focusing on an icon or attending adoration; and find it is as if time stands still – remember we have different sections of our brain are operational at any given time.
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