Attention, pleasure, expansion

Have a friend prepare a small assortment of foods with varying tastes. Have these foods in “pea sized” little bites. Close your eyes and allow your friend to put one pellet at a time into your mouth.

Chew and swallow and guess what the food was.

Ask yourself,What would happen to my enjoyment of food if I paid as much attention to each bite as I did just now?

How can I do “this” with my other senses-hearing, touching, seeing? What would be the equivalent of “closing my eyes” if I were to try to do this experiment with the sense of seeing?

Why do I so often mix eating within a “multi-media” environment of music, conversation, television, reading, etc.?

Would I eat more or less if I did this all the time?

Can I appreciate my tasting experience simultaneously within an environment with many sources of stimulus?

How was this intimacy with this friend compared to other experiences with this person?

What part of me liked this guessing contest? Can I enliven that aspect of life so that I am always exploring my sensory input with an increased inquisitiveness?

Are all of my experiences like pellets for which I must guess the meaning?

How much/often was my ego involved and how would this compare to the part of me that is simply aware of processes without adding interpretation onto the experiences?

How much more tolerant was I during this experience? Did I chew, taste and swallow foods I would normally avoid? How does this simple “overlay” allow me to get beyond personal dislikes?

How much more easily was I able to taste with my eyes closed?

What “eyes” would I have to close to maximize my appreciation of a “morsel of thought?” How would I do that?

Have I ever chewed on a concept like this?

Could I pray like this?