In our daily lives, concentration allows us to direct atten-
tion to whatever experiences we wish. On the other hand, con-
scious awareness, like the Buddhist’s mindfulness, allows us to
explore these experiences in a more sensitive way. To live with
increased conscious awareness is to be more present in every
moment, to notice subtle details and nuances that all too often
go unnoticed, to turn off our autopilot and heal our hearts and
minds. Conscious awareness allows us to tune in to the deep
motives and emotions of others and to empathize more strongly
with them. It is an antidote to our daily mistakes, forgetfulness,
and absentmindedness. And it will bring us into a more com-
passionate relationship with ourselves.
Another benefit of increasing our awareness is that it
sharpens our senses, enhances our pleasure in small moments,
and decreases our cravings for quantity, while simultaneously
increasing our appreciation for quality. It also fosters concen-
tration and calm, and frees us from unconscious destructive
dynamics that create painful emotions such as anger, fear, or
despair. As conscious awareness deepens, we begin to notice
not only our actions but also the emotions that underlie and
empower them. Once these underlying self-defeating forces are
brought into the light of consciousness, they tend to shrivel,
losing their power over our lives.
In Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them
Daniel Goldman provides a commentary on meetings between
him, the Dalai Lama, and world-class scientists and philoso-
phers.^2 They discuss new findings with high-tech devices that
permit scientists to peer inside the brain centers responsible for
calming the inner storms of rage and fear. Experiments have
demonstrated that awareness training strengthens emotional
stability and greatly enhances our positive moods.
In an excellent study of such destructive emotions, the
two main characters in the movie Changing Lanes (2002)
begin to follow their impulses to their ultimate conclusion.
Happily, they stop short when their own actions raise their
consciousness.
Watching Movies With Conscious Awareness 37