Intention (n)

 An essay by Dr. Lloyd Sederer

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Intention is not meant to be confused with “intending”, with its wish-washy power of deliberate action. “Intention”, has an aim, a commitment, to do (or say) something, good or bad, of value or useless, clear or vague, now or later, and so forth.

Noetics is the study and dawning science of consciousness (www.ions.org). Few, I suspect, knew the term until Dan Brown, the best-selling author, popularized it in his latest book, (The Secret Of Secrets, 2026). Many of us have puzzled over the nature of consciousness: Is it “focal”, inside our head, or “non-focal”, residing in boundless time and space that few beside Albert Einstein can comprehend. Yet the latter location is particularly useful if you are to have any chance of understanding (rather than dismissing) coincidence, serendipity, extra-sensory perception, out of body experiences, predictive capacities, lucid dreams, time travel, and a host of so-called “paranormal” events.

From where does intention spawn? That is, before it becomes conscious. Some scientists believe that intention is not de-novo; that it enters our permeable, focal consciousness where it seems autonomous, unless you know better. Then you can imagine how it derives from a timeless and boundaryless (or non-focal) consciousness, accessible by meditation mightier than the force that makes diamonds out of coal. Or more readily. by taking psychedelic drugs, like psilocybin, LSD, and - dwarfing those in immediacy and potency - the venom of a particular toad (How To Change Your Mind, Michael Pollan, 2019).

Will insights into the varieties and sites of non-focal consciousness enable you to win the lottery, achieve a 4.0 GPA. or find a suitable mate? Well, no - or maybe not yet. Is the price of a ticket into your permeable, non-focal consciousness worth a modest sum? Worth the possession of a controlled drug? Even If you are not a Science Professor or not a blockbuster writer.

I have had bounty of these experiences. One worth telling because there was proof is: A very distressed image of one on my older patients living 3,000 miles away entered my non-focal consciousness. It did not want to go away.  I called my patient: ”Doctor, I am so glad you called! I can’t stand up from lying on the couch and one of my hands is not working very well”. I asked, “Do you have any aspirin – not Tylenol – in the house and could someone get it for you?” In response, “Yes”. My response was, “Two things, have someone get the aspirin and you take one immediately, then call an ambulance to take you to Cedars Sinai Hospital ER right away.” That was what she did, though she was driven to the ER by an aide.

Her Concierge Doctor had alerted the ER, where she was seen right away, given further anti-coagulant medication, and admitted. Her TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack) was arrested. She went on to (likely) unnecessary imaging, monitored for 2 days and discharged home. She did not fathom the risk to her life but was grateful none-the-less. When I called her son, he was not happy, wishing her dead as he did. He ‘stiffed’ me on my fee for that day (I did not take insurance). Don’t depend on good things to pay your mortgage.

I wish had a consciousness built with a very high-power antenna, regularly receiving signals like this one. Dammit, very few good things enter my permeable consciousness. At least, I remembered Mother’s Day without a Google Calendar reminder.

Take-Aways:

• You can access the non-focal consciousness that bathes your mind. Keep an eye out for its little feet seeking entry into your focal mind. Don’t dismiss their occurrences. They hold wonders, like those of “turning to the light”.

• No comment on using psychoactive drugs to enhance the power of your mental receptors. I did not, unless you count the bountiful weed I smoked as a young man.

• I probably would have been thrown out of medical school had I talked about my use of weed back then. Or any other contraband drug. Go figure. Still, little need to broadcast your use of illegal drugs – nothing to gain and a lot to lose from those who like to hurt other people.

• Wonder, awe, and spiritual awakenings are blessings. Do what you can to rake them in.

  
  

☮️PAX

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Dr. Lloyd Sederer is a psychiatrist, public health doctor, and non-fiction writer. www.askdrlloyd.com