Deepak Chopra on Second Attention

Through second attention, you can perceive yourself
As awareness itself,
Not as one of its products and creations.
There are many ways to catch such glimpses:
Meditating to reach inner silence;
Sensing the purity of nature;
Sudden flashes of innocence; an impulse of love;
An intuitive connection to your muse;
Sensing inner guidance, a source of wisdom;
A feeling that you belong in the larger scheme of life.

Consider if you have ever experienced such things;
Begin to notice them now, and be on the lookout
For those moments when you can sense
Something lies behind the veil of appearances.

Even though we all live by first attention
And therefore lose our selves in constant activity,
We are also equipped to perceive the world
Through second attention.

Whenever you have a flash of love,
Innocence, inspiration, awe, wonder, or joy,
Remind yourself: This is the real me.
Don’t let such moments simply pass you by.
Stop and appreciate them,
And ask that you receive more in the future.

In this way you open a feedback loop
Between first and second attention.
You will continue to view the physical world as such,
But its significance will change.
You will start to see consciousness at work,
Being in motion.

In this way, the realms of change and non-change
Begin to merge.
Light starts to enter the world,
Until the world is eventually seen as made of light
And nothing else.