Focusing is a technique for bringing subconscious system 1 information into conscious awareness
Felt sense: a feeling in the body that is not yet verbalized but may subconsciously influence behavior, and which carries meaning.
The dominant factor in patient outcomes: does the patient remain uncertain, instead of having firm narratives?
A goal of therapy is increased awareness and clarity. Thus, it is not useful to spend much time in the already known.
The successful patient thinks and listens to information
If the verbal part utters something, the patient will check with the felt senses to correct the utterance
Listening can feel like “having something on the tip of your tongue”
From felt senses to handles
A felt sense is like a picture
There’s lots of tacit, non-explicit information in it
A handle is like a sketch of the picture that is true to it.
Handles “resonate” with the felt sense
The first attempt at a handle will often not resonate — then you need to iterate
In the end, you might get a “click”, “release of pressure”, or “sense of deep rightness”
The felt sense can change or disappear once “System 2 got the message”
Advice and caveats
The felt sense may also not be true — your system 1 may be biased.
Tips:
Choosing a topic: if you don’t have a felt sense to focus on, produce the utterance “Everything in my life is perfect right now” and see how system 1 responds. This will usually create a topic to focus on
Get physically comfortable
Don’t “focus” in the sense of effortful attention, but “focus” in the sense of “increase clarity”
Hold space: don’t go super fast or “push”; silence in one’s mind is normal
Stay with one felt sense at a time
Always return to the felt sense, also if the coherent verbalized story feels “exciting”
Don’t limit yourself to sensations in your body — there are other felt senses
Try saying things out loud (both utterances and questions “to the felt sense”)
Try to not “fall into” overwhelming felt senses; they can sometimes make the feeling a “subject” instead of an “object” to hold and talk with
Going “meta” and asking what the body has to say about a felt sense can help with not getting sucked in
Verbalizing “I feel rage” and then “something in me is feeling rage” etc. can progressively create distance to felt senses
The Focusing Algorithm
Select something to bring into focus
Create space (get physically comfortable and drop in for a minute; Put attention to the body; ask sensations to wait if there are multiple; go meta if you’re overwhelmed)
Look for a handle of the felt sense (Iterate between verbalizing and listening until the felt sense agrees; Ask questions to the felt sense; Take time to wait for responses)
Summary
Focusing is a technique for bringing subconscious system 1 information into conscious awareness
Felt sense: a feeling in the body that is not yet verbalized but may subconsciously influence behavior, and which carries meaning.
The dominant factor in patient outcomes: does the patient remain uncertain, instead of having firm narratives?
A goal of therapy is increased awareness and clarity. Thus, it is not useful to spend much time in the already known.
The successful patient thinks and listens to information
If the verbal part utters something, the patient will check with the felt senses to correct the utterance
Listening can feel like “having something on the tip of your tongue”
From felt senses to handles
A felt sense is like a picture
There’s lots of tacit, non-explicit information in it
A handle is like a sketch of the picture that is true to it.
Handles “resonate” with the felt sense
The first attempt at a handle will often not resonate — then you need to iterate
In the end, you might get a “click”, “release of pressure”, or “sense of deep rightness”
The felt sense can change or disappear once “System 2 got the message”
Advice and caveats
The felt sense may also not be true — your system 1 may be biased.
Tips:
Choosing a topic: if you don’t have a felt sense to focus on, produce the utterance “Everything in my life is perfect right now” and see how system 1 responds. This will usually create a topic to focus on
Get physically comfortable
Don’t “focus” in the sense of effortful attention, but “focus” in the sense of “increase clarity”
Hold space: don’t go super fast or “push”; silence in one’s mind is normal
Stay with one felt sense at a time
Always return to the felt sense, also if the coherent verbalized story feels “exciting”
Don’t limit yourself to sensations in your body — there are other felt senses
Try saying things out loud (both utterances and questions “to the felt sense”)
Try to not “fall into” overwhelming felt senses; they can sometimes make the feeling a “subject” instead of an “object” to hold and talk with
Going “meta” and asking what the body has to say about a felt sense can help with not getting sucked in
Verbalizing “I feel rage” and then “something in me is feeling rage” etc. can progressively create distance to felt senses
The Focusing Algorithm
Select something to bring into focus
Create space (get physically comfortable and drop in for a minute; Put attention to the body; ask sensations to wait if there are multiple; go meta if you’re overwhelmed)
Look for a handle of the felt sense (Iterate between verbalizing and listening until the felt sense agrees; Ask questions to the felt sense; Take time to wait for responses)