Aware

Aware Plot Summary

Introduction

Imagine sitting quietly, eyes closed, when suddenly you notice something remarkable - there's a difference between your thoughts and the awareness that observes them. This simple yet profound distinction forms the foundation of a powerful practice called the Wheel of Awareness. In our busy lives, most of us become completely identified with the contents of our minds - our worries, plans, memories, and sensations. We're like actors who have forgotten we're in a play, completely absorbed in our roles without recognizing the stage itself. The science of presence explores this fundamental aspect of human consciousness - the capacity to distinguish between awareness itself and what we're aware of. Drawing from neuroscience, physics, and contemplative traditions, this emerging field reveals how cultivating presence transforms our brains, minds, and relationships. You'll discover how specific meditation practices strengthen neural integration, the biological foundation of well-being. You'll learn why our default mental state often traps us in self-preoccupation and how to access more spacious states of consciousness. Perhaps most importantly, you'll understand how these insights can be applied to everyday challenges, from managing difficult emotions to deepening connections with others.

Chapter 1: The Hub and Rim: Mapping Conscious Experience

The Wheel of Awareness provides a simple yet profound map of consciousness that helps us understand our subjective experience. Imagine a wheel with a hub at the center, an outer rim, and spokes connecting them. The hub represents pure awareness itself - the knowing presence that observes experience. The rim contains everything we can be aware of - our sensations, thoughts, emotions, and connections to others. The spokes symbolize our attention, which we can intentionally direct from the hub to any point on the rim. This model divides the rim into four segments representing different domains of conscious experience. The first segment contains our five senses - what we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch from the external world. The second segment holds our internal bodily sensations - feelings like hunger, tension, or comfort that arise from within. The third segment contains our mental activities - thoughts, emotions, memories, beliefs, and intentions. The fourth segment represents our relational connections - our sense of attunement with others and the world around us. By systematically moving our attention around these segments, we develop a more comprehensive awareness of our complete experience. The hub-rim distinction reveals something profound about consciousness: we are not merely our thoughts, emotions, or bodily sensations. There exists a spacious awareness that can observe these experiences without being defined by them. When we identify solely with rim elements - becoming our anxiety, anger, or pain - we lose perspective and freedom. By recognizing the hub of awareness, we access a more stable, flexible sense of identity that can hold our experiences without being overwhelmed by them. This distinction creates what psychologists call a "reflective space" between stimulus and response, allowing us to choose our actions rather than react automatically. Research in neuroscience supports this model, showing that different brain networks correspond to different aspects of the wheel. The salience network helps us direct attention (the spoke) to specific experiences. The default mode network often dominates our third segment, generating self-referential thoughts. Various sensory networks process information in the first and second segments. The practice of systematically moving attention around the wheel and then returning to the hub strengthens neural integration - the linkage of differentiated parts of the brain into a harmonious whole. This integration is the neurobiological foundation of mental health and well-being. The Wheel practice helps us develop what neuroscientist Daniel Siegel calls "mindsight" - the ability to perceive our own minds and the minds of others with clarity and compassion. This capacity enables us to respond to life's challenges with flexibility rather than reactivity. By strengthening our connection to the hub, we develop resilience - the ability to face difficulties without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down. This doesn't mean eliminating difficult emotions but rather developing a more spacious relationship with them. As one practitioner described: "I used to be my anxiety. Now I can observe my anxious thoughts and feelings from the hub, which gives me space to respond differently."

Chapter 2: Three Pillars: Focus, Openness, and Kindness

The Wheel of Awareness practice develops three fundamental mental skills that research has shown to be essential for well-being. The first pillar is focused attention - the ability to direct and sustain concentration on chosen objects of awareness. This skill is like a mental muscle that strengthens with practice. When we direct our attention to the breath or bodily sensations during the Wheel practice, we're developing this capacity for sustained focus. Each time we notice our mind wandering and gently return it to our intended focus, we strengthen the neural circuits involved in attention regulation. The second pillar is open awareness, sometimes called receptive awareness or open monitoring. While focused attention narrows our concentration to specific points, open awareness expands our consciousness to receive whatever arises in the present moment without getting caught up in it. During the Wheel practice, we cultivate this quality when we rest in the hub, observing how thoughts, sensations, and emotions come and go without becoming identified with them. This helps us distinguish the knowing of awareness from what we know, creating a sense of spaciousness around our experiences. Kind intention forms the third pillar of mind training. This involves bringing qualities of compassion, care, and positive regard toward ourselves and others. Research shows that practicing kindness and compassion activates integrative brain circuits, reduces inflammation, and improves cardiovascular health. In the Wheel practice, we develop kind intention through the attitude we bring to our experience - meeting whatever arises with curiosity and care rather than judgment or aversion. This quality transforms the practice from a mechanical exercise into a healing, integrative experience. These three pillars work synergistically to transform our relationship with experience. Focused attention gives us stability and clarity; open awareness provides spaciousness and perspective; kind intention infuses our awareness with warmth and connection. Together, they create a balanced approach to mind training that addresses both our need for concentration and our capacity for openness. As neuroscientist Richard Davidson has shown, these qualities correspond to distinct neural signatures that can be strengthened through regular practice. The science behind these pillars is compelling. Studies show that practices incorporating these elements increase gray matter in brain regions associated with attention, emotional regulation, and empathy. They enhance connectivity between brain regions, promoting integration. They also activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress hormones and promoting recovery. Perhaps most importantly, they help us develop what psychologists call "psychological flexibility" - the ability to adapt to changing circumstances with awareness, openness, and aligned action.

Chapter 3: The Default Mode Network and Self-Preoccupation

The Default Mode Network (DMN) is a set of interconnected brain regions that becomes active when we're not focused on the external world. Neuroscientists discovered this network when they noticed certain brain areas consistently lighting up during "rest" periods between experimental tasks. What they found was surprising: the brain isn't really resting at all during these periods - it's engaged in a specific type of mental activity centered around self-referential thinking. This network, which includes midline structures running from the front to the back of the brain, becomes activated when we engage in activities like reminiscing about the past, imagining the future, or wondering what others think about us. While this network serves important functions in helping us navigate our social world and maintain our sense of identity, it can become problematic when it dominates our mental landscape. Research shows that an overactive DMN is associated with anxiety, depression, and addiction. It's like having a mental radio station that constantly broadcasts self-centered commentary, making it difficult to be present for our actual experience. The DMN creates what psychologists call "narrative focus" - a state where we're absorbed in stories about ourselves and our lives. These narratives often take us away from direct experience into rumination about the past or worry about the future. They frequently involve social comparisons, self-criticism, or rehearsals of future interactions. While some of this activity is necessary and helpful, many people find themselves trapped in repetitive, unhelpful thought patterns that diminish their well-being and connection with others. The Wheel of Awareness practice offers a powerful antidote to DMN dominance. Research shows that mindfulness practices help integrate the DMN with other brain networks, reducing its isolation and dominance. When we focus on sensory experiences during the Wheel practice - like sounds, bodily sensations, or the breath - we activate neural circuits that inhibit the DMN. This creates a shift from narrative focus to what researchers call "experiential focus" - direct attention to present-moment experience without elaborative thinking. This shift explains why many people report experiencing unusual clarity and calm during meditation. By temporarily quieting the DMN's chatter, we access a more spacious sense of being that isn't defined by our usual self-preoccupations. Over time, regular practice loosens the grip of the separate self, allowing for a more integrated experience of identity - one that includes both our individual uniqueness and our profound interconnection with others and the world. As one practitioner described it: "I realized I had been living in a very small room of my mind, obsessing over myself. The practice opened the windows and doors, letting in fresh air and showing me there's a whole world beyond my self-concern."

Chapter 4: The 3-P Framework: Plane, Plateau, and Peak

To understand the deeper mechanisms behind the Wheel of Awareness, we can explore a conceptual framework that maps different states of consciousness onto a probability distribution. This "3-P" model - consisting of the plane of possibility, plateaus of probability, and peaks of actuality - helps explain both the science and subjective experience of consciousness in a way that bridges physics, neuroscience, and contemplative insights. The plane of possibility represents the lowest point on the probability distribution curve - a state of near-zero probability that corresponds to maximum potential. This mathematical space contains all possible forms that could arise, like an infinite ocean of possibilities. In quantum physics, this corresponds to what's sometimes called the "quantum vacuum" or "sea of potential" - the underlying field from which all manifestations emerge. In the Wheel practice, the hub of awareness may give us access to this plane, explaining why many practitioners describe feeling boundless, timeless, and connected to everything when they rest in pure awareness. Plateaus represent elevated probabilities - states where certain outcomes become more likely than others. These function as filters of consciousness, shaping which possibilities from the plane can emerge into awareness. Our moods, intentions, beliefs, and cultural conditioning all create plateaus that prime certain thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. For example, if you're in an anxious state, your plateau makes fearful thoughts and bodily tension more probable. During the Wheel practice, we might notice how different mental states function as plateaus, filtering our experience in predictable ways. Peaks represent actualized manifestations - the specific thoughts, sensations, emotions, and perceptions that emerge into consciousness. These are the rim points in the Wheel metaphor, the contents of awareness that we can focus on with the spoke of attention. Peaks arise either directly from the plane (in moments of creative insight or "beginner's mind") or more commonly through the filtering influence of plateaus. When we're caught in repetitive thought patterns, we're experiencing the same peaks arising again and again through rigid plateaus. This framework helps explain why our experience changes so dramatically when we shift from rim to hub during the Wheel practice. At the rim, we're experiencing peaks and plateaus - the time-bound world of specific manifestations and their filters. At the hub, especially during the "hub-in-hub" portion when we bend the spoke of attention back toward awareness itself, we may access the plane of possibility - a state beyond the arrow of time where all potentials exist simultaneously. This explains the common reports of timelessness, expansiveness, and connection that practitioners experience. The 3-P model also illuminates how integration works. When our plateaus become rigid or chaotic, we lose access to the full range of possibilities in the plane. Integration involves having flexible, adaptive plateaus that allow appropriate peaks to emerge while maintaining connection to the openness of the plane. The Wheel practice promotes this integration by helping us differentiate between these different probability positions and link them together through awareness.

Chapter 5: Energy Flow: From Possibility to Actuality

At its most fundamental level, the mind can be understood as patterns of energy and information flow. But what exactly is energy? In physics, energy is defined as the movement from possibility to actuality - the process by which potential becomes manifest in the world. This concept provides a fascinating framework for understanding our subjective experiences during the Wheel of Awareness practice, especially the mysterious qualities of pure awareness. Quantum physics reveals that our universe has an underlying "sea of potential" - a mathematical space representing all possibilities that could arise into being. From this vast field of potential, specific actualities emerge through the flow of energy. While this may sound abstract, we experience this process directly in our consciousness. When a thought arises in your mind, it emerges from a field of potential into actuality. When you make a decision, you're selecting one possibility from many and bringing it into manifestation. This movement from possibility to actuality is the essence of energy flow. Our minds operate at both the classical Newtonian level of certainty (the macrostate world of our bodies) and the quantum level of probability (the microstate world of energy patterns). When we're caught in default mode network self-preoccupation, we're experiencing a rigid set of plateaus that filter our experience in predictable ways. The Wheel practice helps us loosen these filters, allowing us to access both the specificity of peaks and the openness of the plane. This creates a more integrated experience where we can enjoy the richness of particular experiences while maintaining connection to the spaciousness of pure awareness. The hub of awareness, particularly during the "hub-in-hub" portion of the practice when we bend the spoke of attention back toward awareness itself, may correspond to an experience of the plane of possibility. This explains why many practitioners describe this state as "wide as the sky," "deep as the ocean," or "timeless" - they're experiencing the qualities of the plane: infinite diversity, eternity, and open potential. Unlike the time-bound nature of peaks (thoughts coming and going), the plane exists outside the arrow of time, creating a sense of timelessness. This framework helps explain why consciousness creates choice and change. When we access the plane of possibility, we tap into the very mathematical space where alternative options exist. This is why creative insights often emerge during states of open awareness - we're accessing a broader field of potential beyond our habitual patterns. It also explains why presence is so powerful for transformation. When we're fully present, we're not locked into predetermined patterns but open to new possibilities emerging from the plane. The energy flow perspective also illuminates why integration is so important for well-being. Integration involves the balanced flow between differentiation (the distinct peaks of experience) and linkage (the connection to the plane of possibility). When this flow becomes blocked or imbalanced, we experience various forms of mental suffering - either excessive rigidity (being stuck in fixed patterns) or excessive chaos (being overwhelmed by unintegrated experience). The Wheel practice helps restore this balanced flow, allowing energy to move freely between possibility and actuality.

Chapter 6: Transforming States into Traits Through Practice

The ultimate goal of the Wheel of Awareness practice is not just to experience temporary states of presence, but to transform these states into enduring traits that shape our everyday lives. This process of neuroplastic change follows a simple principle: repeated states become traits. What we practice regularly becomes our default way of being in the world. When we intentionally create states of focused attention, open awareness, and kind intention during the Wheel practice, we activate specific neural circuits in the brain. Research shows that with repetition, these circuits strengthen and become more efficient through a process called myelination, which makes neural transmission up to 3,000 times faster. Additionally, practice changes the expression of our genes through epigenetic modifications, alters the structure of synaptic connections, and even grows new neurons in key brain regions like the hippocampus. These neurobiological changes translate into measurable improvements in our capacity for self-regulation, emotional balance, and interpersonal connection. Studies of long-term meditators show increased thickness in areas of the prefrontal cortex associated with attention and emotional regulation. The corpus callosum, which connects the brain's hemispheres, grows larger, facilitating integration between different brain regions. The insula, which maps bodily states and supports empathy, becomes more active and developed. Even the default mode network becomes more integrated with other brain systems, reducing self-preoccupation. The transformation from state to trait happens gradually through consistent practice. Many people find that even short daily sessions of the Wheel practice (as little as 7-20 minutes) can create meaningful changes over time. What matters most is not the length of individual sessions but the regularity of practice. As neuroscientist Donald Hebb famously stated: "Neurons that fire together, wire together." Each time we practice, we're strengthening neural pathways that support presence and integration. As these states become traits, we develop what psychologists call "response flexibility" - the capacity to pause between stimulus and response to choose our actions wisely. This quality becomes available not just during formal practice but in our everyday interactions. We become less reactive and more responsive, able to access the spaciousness of the hub even during difficult experiences. We develop greater resilience in the face of challenges, able to bend without breaking and return to balance more quickly after disturbances. Perhaps most importantly, the integration cultivated through practice transforms our sense of identity. We move from an isolated "me" focused on survival and self-protection to an integrated sense of self that honors both our individuality and our interconnection. This shift brings a natural sense of meaning, purpose, and ethical concern for others. As kindness and compassion become traits rather than effortful states, we discover that caring for others and ourselves becomes our natural way of being.

Chapter 7: Presence as a Portal to Integration

Presence - the state of being fully aware in the present moment - emerges naturally when we access the plane of possibility through practices like the Wheel of Awareness. This quality of presence isn't just a pleasant state; it's a transformative capacity that serves as a portal to integration and well-being in every aspect of our lives. When we live from presence, we experience a fundamental shift in our relationship with experience. Rather than being defined by fixed patterns of personality or trapped in habitual reactions, we access a spacious awareness that can hold our experience without being consumed by it. This doesn't mean losing our unique characteristics or becoming passive; rather, it means relating to our thoughts, emotions, and sensations with greater freedom and flexibility. As one practitioner described: "I used to feel like my emotions were happening to me. Now I can be with them happening in me." Presence transforms our relationships by enabling us to truly see and hear others beyond our projections and expectations. When we're present with someone, we're able to attune to their experience with curiosity and care rather than immediately filtering it through our own agendas and assumptions. This quality of presence creates what researchers call "interpersonal resonance" - a state where both people feel seen, soothed, safe, and secure. Studies show that this kind of attuned presence activates integrative brain circuits in both people, creating a shared state of neural harmony. In professional settings, presence allows us to bring our full capabilities to our work and connect with colleagues in more authentic, collaborative ways. Many people experience a sense of disconnection or meaninglessness in their work lives, going through the motions without a sense of purpose or engagement. Living from presence opens us to new dimensions of meaning and connection, sometimes leading to profound shifts in how we approach our work or even what work we choose to do. Research on "flow states" - periods of complete absorption in meaningful challenges - shows that presence is a prerequisite for this optimal experience. Presence also transforms our relationship with difficult experiences like pain, illness, or loss. Rather than immediately reacting with avoidance or becoming overwhelmed, we can hold these experiences in a wider field of awareness. This doesn't eliminate suffering, but it changes our relationship to it, creating space for healing responses rather than additional layers of reactivity. Studies show that mindfulness practices reduce the experience of pain not by eliminating sensations but by altering how the brain processes them - decreasing activity in regions that generate suffering while increasing activity in regions associated with direct sensory awareness. The integration that emerges from presence extends beyond individual well-being to our collective life. Our human tendency to divide the world into "us" and "them" - reinforced by isolated default mode networks - creates tremendous suffering at personal and societal levels. Practices that cultivate presence help integrate these divisive patterns by accessing the plane of possibility beneath our conditioned separations. As we recognize our fundamental interconnection, we naturally extend our circle of care and concern beyond familiar boundaries.

Summary

The Wheel of Awareness reveals a fundamental truth about human consciousness: we are not merely the contents of our experience but the awareness that holds these contents. By differentiating the knowing hub from the known rim, we discover a spacious presence that transcends our habitual patterns and reactive tendencies. This distinction isn't merely philosophical but neurobiologically grounded, reflecting the brain's capacity for integration - the linkage of differentiated parts into a harmonious whole. Through regular practice, we can transform temporary states of presence into enduring traits that shape our lives. The three pillars of focused attention, open awareness, and kind intention strengthen neural integration and develop our capacity to respond to life's challenges with flexibility rather than reactivity. By accessing what we've called the plane of possibility - the sea of potential from which all specific experiences arise - we discover a profound resource that remains untouched even by difficult experiences. This spacious awareness serves as a portal to integration in every aspect of our lives, from our relationship with our own thoughts and emotions to our connections with others and the world. What might change in your life if you could access this dimension of awareness more consistently? How might your relationships transform if you could meet others from the spaciousness of the hub rather than the reactivity of the rim? The science of presence invites us to explore these questions not just intellectually but through direct experience, discovering for ourselves the transformative power of integrated awareness.

About Author

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Daniel J. Siegel

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