Something so fundamental to life has many short-term and long-term benefits.

You'll have already heard all of the common benefits – here and now, peace of mind, oneness, and balance – the reason i discuss them yet again, is because i can give short common-sense explanations of how and why they happen.

The Common Benefits

It's impossible to listen or see panoramically in the past or future.

We habitually focus on the past or the future. The usefulness of focusing is to be able to do things and go places. Focusing is by definition selective, it always limits a general awareness of everything else which is happening. At best, we can only focus on a specific part of what is here and now. The idea of focusing on the present moment is misleading.

If we want to be here and now, and do that here and now, (i.e. immediately and without hesitation or years of practice) go panoramic... it's nothing mystical or paradoxical... it's just practical; it IS here and now.

The in-depth page on this specific subject is How to be Now.

It is not possible to think or want in this state of being, because as soon as you think or want you will have started focusing.

Panoramic sensing is non-judgemental, but it is not impartial or indifferent. It is actively receptive, ready and waiting.

Often we will notice first thoughts arising, recognise sparrows, trees swaying, car doors slamming, church bells ringing, but we are unable to develop the thought. If we developed any idea, we would lose our panoramic awareness, we would be focusing again.

Among vulnerable animals, panoramic awareness is inherently connected with fear. The advantage we have over animals is that we are safe; we don't need to run away at the first sign of a cat or dog. Modern humans could start enjoying all the positive side effects without the motivating fear. Our advantage has led to indifference.

We don't need it for the same reasons as animals, physical safety; we need it for our psychological safety, if we don't stop thinking and wanting for a moment, we will slowly all go crazy.

Much of the site develops this idea. The in-depth page is How to Neutralise the Self-Perpetuating Wheels of Thoughts.

Evolution selected it, because it is a way to be instantly and intimately in touch with a wide variety of signals.

Panoramic sensing is the direct connection with what is happening in our surroundings.

It is a selfless state of being. It needs to be selfless in order to be in touch with everything else.

Intensive panoramic sensing is a feeling of absorption in and with everything which is happening.

Focusing is also often absorbing, but focusing is always finite and specific, it excludes everything else which is happening. Absorption by focusing always involves a degree of closed mindedness, and often leading to habits and addictions. Trying to find oneness by focusing, is almost impossible.

The senses are usually seen as the door between us and the world outside us. In the panoramic reality, our senses connect us with the world. The feeling is : we are the door.

Panoraming belongs with that collection of rare words like love and empathy, as a state of being where the subject is intimately involved with the object.

Panoramic sensing IS a hidden potential and evolution's basic balance in life.

Animals balance all their focused activities with panoramic sensing. Vulnerable animals generally alternate between the two modes.

Panoraming is a different perspective on life. All other animals need to use both perspectives in order to survive. This is a basic balance in life which all other animals have. Humans could use it as a balance for anything which they focus on, practical or ethereal.

Predatory animals often combine their focused and panoramic abilities. They hunt for and want prey. This activity is governed by focusing, it is not a pure balance.

A short summary on how humans attempt to balance work, play, sleep, and sex, etc. can be found in Human vs. Animal Balance.

The Effects on Understanding

Panoramic sensing is a gentle underlying influence which has changed my habitual way of seeing and understanding life. It has changed how i experience the world and many of my basic assumptions – the building blocks of my thoughts.

Wanting is Based on Focusing

The clearest and most basic ideas, come from the experience that panoramic sensing is useless for wanting and thinking. It is essential to focus in order to want or think in a constructive manner.

Grounded in our spiritual traditions, our culture understands that sensuality (wanting) is dependent on the senses, and previously i would have agreed with this, but it isn't true. Wanting and thinking are dependent on focusing.

There is a big difference between focusing and concentration. Thinking is always focused, typically hopping from one focus point to another... occasionally, focusing is concentrated.

The senses and thoughts can only want anything in connection with focusing on it. When we want something, we repeatedly focus on it.

In order for vulnerable animals to use their panorama senses with any intensity, it is essential and natural to stop focusing on anything specific.

Using the senses in a panoramic way neutralises focusing, it neutralises thinking or wanting.

The only thing panoramic sensing makes us want, is to do more panoramic sensing.

Predatory animals have a way of combining their focused and panoramic abilities. They hunt for and have an intention of finding specific prey. Under the influence of focusing, we witness again the connection with wanting.

Much of the site develops this theme, and central to this is a page in Chapter 4 : Desire is Dependent on Focusing.

Selflessness
Vulnerable animals need to use their panorama senses to stay safe. But actively focusing on, thinking about and wanting to stay safe would stop them being panoramically aware – so t is no coincidence, by necessity it is a selfless state of being.

Reversing the Normal Rules

Some of the ideas we take for granted with our focused appreciation of life don't apply here.

People who meditate often say that 'it comes by itself' so 'don't try so hard'. And it's true that when focusing, we also need to learn to 'let it be'.

But panoramic sensing reverses these ideas, it reverses the normal rules governing the search for peace of mind.

Trying to go panoramic, being attached to it, wanting it and then expecting it to work – all actually help to stimulate peace of mind and being here and now.

Why? Because it was built that way.

Animals have to be still and at peace inside, actively and directly receptive, and here and now – it's automatic. It's all been evolving for millions of years. It's reliable.

Panoramic sensing was built to be open and safe at the same time.

This situation is illustrated vividly in Slave to the Senses.

Often, change is understood as synonymous with impermanence – in turn this is seen as an obstacle to the eternal and not the 'real self', because the real self is eternal and unchanging.

A prominent idea in some forms of Buddhism and Hinduism is that due to impermanence and change, any hope of fulfilment or security through attachments is illusory. And therefore to be free, we must let-go of all attachments.

All these ideas are based on focusing and focal points.

But, panoramic sensing evolved to recognise the changes, the insecure impermanences, it was built for that purpose. It was built to feel both open and safe in those conditions, in exactly that environment.

With panoramic sensing, we witness impermanence and change as normal and there is fulfilment and security in just being open to it.

Change is where life is happening. Witnessing change is the door to living reality.

Panoramic sensing involves non-attachment and letting go, but they're not the aim. The aim is watchfulness.

Our human analytical abilities have superimposed abstract forms onto life to try and make sense of it, (the circle of life, opposites, cause and effect).

Rational explanations, even the most cutting-edge creative ideas, are the result of focused thinking. But panoramic reality will always be full of unexpected movements and changes happening randomly.

Panoramic reality is an experience of spontaneity, randomness, the element of surprise, and even, i would say, being alive.

This theme is developed throughout the site, and specifically in Sensing the Changes.

This has often been said, and we think it implies that we need to develop a deeper or different understanding of life – we do, but we need to apply the whole idea, we need to apply the idea at its origination... our senses.

Modern culture is almost totally blind to the panoramic use of the senses.

Panoraming is a baseline experience for any philosophy or psychology of man. Without it, we are only experiencing and understanding a limited version of what human beings can do and be when they focus.

The entire 'blinkered' way we see the world is based in focusing. We're not considering the whole picture because we're only using part of our sensory abilities to experience it with.

Throughout evolution, panoramic perception has been the natural way to stop doing everything and be actively receptive, here and now, safe and open, wide awake and aware of anything and everything which might happen.

Panoraming directly stimulates peace of mind, and eliminates worry. Humans are missing out on an easily available, non-mystical, practical way of stilling the mind and being alive, finding a form of balance, and i suggest also, to feel safe and stop worrying. And consequently, human culture is missing out on it as well.

It's not surprising that after thousands of years developing a one-sided way of sensing life, humans are now running into difficulties. Chapter 3, Civilisations Habitual Ruts, develops this idea.

More serious modern research suggests that panoramic vision stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and even prevents Alzheimer's disease..

James Conlon "Simply switching from foveal to peripheral vision when we feel anxious or stressed, activates the parasympathetic nervous system. As the two nervous systems can't be active at the same time the body will naturally calm."

It's interesting to know that panoramic sensing activates the parasympathetic. James Conlon appears to have researched this maybe more than anyone else, but i don't think there has been any research into how predatory animals focus within a panoramic background, using both sensory systems at the same time.

These are areas i am not competent to discuss, and i question their value because i am unable to actually feel the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.

Panoramic sensing is a practical expression of the Buddha's Middle Way. It fulfils all the criteria perfectly "without sensory indulgence or sensory withdrawal". Chapter 4, Buddhism and Wheels, explores this idea.

Also, it can be used as a balance, in combination with any other form of focused worship or meditation etc. without endangering or subverting any cherished belief.

It is not as powerful as love or devotional belief can be; and i doubt if by itself it is strong enough to overcome the routine mechanics of the ego.

But it's easily accessible, and we can trust it to work without even having to believe in it. Therefore, it would be an excellent practical first step for most religious systems. Chapter 5, explores the connections between Panoramic Sensing and The Great Spirit.

Please continue with the Additional Benefits of Panoramic Sensing

Back to Chapter Two : Psychology Of The Panorama
Back to THE PANORAMA SENSES Priority Pages