AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BEING HERE PROCEDURE 
AND THE FOCUSING PROCEDURE

Peter Graham

7January 1994

This article introduces the Being Here Procedure and the Focusing Procedure, outlines some of the benefits that can come from doing them and provides suggested educational actions that can be done with the viewer before doing them for the first time.

The Being Here Procedure and the Focusing Procedure' are viewing procedures that are capable of helping a person to be more in "the here and now" and recover and expand his or her awareness. A person' s awareness is his/her most valuable resource.

The Being Here Procedure is primarily concerned with helping a person become more able to be and remain in touch with the here and now. The Focusing Procedure aims to help a person become more able to voluntarily place and maintain his 2 attention on something or someone. These two abilities are closely related, as the second ability depends largely on the first. In other words, a person needs to be "here" before he can focus his attention on something.

Problems arise in life when a person attempts to be in the here and now or to place his/her attention on something (or someone). Unwanted automatic responses can occur, which grab, disperse or consume his attention and make the person lose contact with the here and now (partially or wholly). Such involuntary responses can greatly impair a person' s potential for success and happiness in the areas where they occur and in life generally.

The facilitator's role when doing these procedures with a viewer includes educating the viewer on the procedures, helping the person to get through things that turn on and assisting the person to identify and resolve things that are found to be holding or dispersing his/her attention. Sometimes, the facilitator will do "a handling" in relation to something that has come up while doing one of these procedures.

These two procedures can be used independently of each other, however, they are often used as a pair and done one after the other in the same session or in the same series of sessions.

Although these procedures are not normally done for long periods in the early stages, they are relatively "unlimited" and can not only be done for many hours (in consecutive sessions) but can also be done more than once. This provides an extremely wide scope for personal expansion through these two fundamental and highly effective exercises.

Personal Benefits

The Being Here Procedure and the Focusing Procedure are very important procedures. They directly address "the being" (the basic self, the centre of consciousness), seek to recover and expand his/her awareness and, if continued long enough, can assist him/her to move towards and achieve higher levels of consciousness. Those willing to make the effort will experience heightened awareness as the "noise" of thoughts, imaginings and internal conversations fall away to be replaced by an inner calm and personal certainty.

The Being Here Procedure and the Focusing Procedure are directly based on the works of other persons. See the section "Acknowledgments" below.

2 For the sake of convenience and brevity, the words "he" and "his" are used instead of "he and she" and "his and hers" in this article.

The resolving of things that are grabbing or dispersing the person' s attention while doing these exercises (through the use of several specific handlings) frees up more attention for use by the individual and often help to resolve things more quickly and thoroughly. This can lead to an expansion of consciousness and greater functionality in life, as he/she is more able to think and act in life without experiencing involuntary responses or losing touch with the here and now.

A person's capacity to be in the here and now and to be able to direct attention are the cornerstones of continued success and happiness in life. To be able to live life in "the now" requires these abilities, as does the capacity to observe and handle experiences with power of choice (rather than reacting to them). Many other important abilities depend on these two basic abilities, including the ability to communicate effectively.

The inner strength of an individual is directly related to his ability to be (and to continue to be) in the here and now and to perceive what is there to be perceived, regardless of what is being observed or experienced. To the degree that he can be in the here and now and "hold a position" in space and time, the person becomes more and more "centered" and can reach outwards from that point to perceive, communicate, intend and cause things.

Done thoroughly and honestly, these procedures have the capacity to contribute greatly to a person' s personal growth and to enable (empower) him/her to experience and participate more successfully in life.

Educational Actions

A person doing the Being Here Procedure or the Focusing Procedure needs to know what to expect, what might be experienced and what is required of him or her. With this knowledge, he/she can participate more effectively in and contribute more to the sessions.

The educational actions below are concerned with basic concepts and definitions that are useful to know while doing either of these procedures. However, educating the viewer is an ongoing process and advices, encouragement and coaching by the facilitator may be required from time to time (while doing these procedures).

Before starting for the first time, it is worthwhile to go over the following with the viewer:

(i) Introduce the procedure to be done and give the viewer an overview by outlining (in general terms at this stage) how it is done and its purpose. Invite questions and answer them. Keep it simple.

(ii) Clarify the meanings of the following terms and concepts:

(a) The here and now, (b) The concept of "being here" (ie. in contact with the here and now), (c) What is meant by "doing nothing else " (other than being in the here and now and/or focusing attention on something), (d) Awareness, (e) Attention (as selective or directed awareness), (f) Focusing of attention, (g) Spanning, fanning and sweeping attention, (h) Fixed attention, (i) Dispersal of attention, (j) An automatic response, and compare it with intuitive and analytical responses, (k) An experience and to experience something, (l) Resistance (as a block to or an avoidance of experiencing something, an unwillingness to experience something), (m) The concept of "zero resistance " to something being observed or experienced, (n) To describe something (such as a feeling or sensation), (o) To be reminded of something, (p) To give meaning to something (being observed or experienced), (q) An intention and and to intend something, (r) An end point (as a suitable point to end a session or a procedure).

(iii) Inform the person that things may "turn on" while doing these procedures and that continuing the procedure will turn them off (discharge them) sooner or later. Things turning on and off should be viewed as positive as change is occurring and things may be discharging. The things experienced can sometimes be unpleasant or persistent. The person should be prepared to persist by continuing to do the exercise and to work closely with the facilitator until it is resolved.

(iv) Unwanted automatic responses may occur during the procedure, such as fixed, grabbed or dispersed attention, automatic thoughts, flashes of or persisting images or impressions, negative emotions and feelings, involuntary impulses, compulsions, and perception distortions. The person should be aware of them, seek to observe and experience them as fully as possible and with as little resistance as possible and (most importantly) to continue doing the procedure.

Don't be concerned about the cause of an automatic response that is occurring. Just be aware of them and concentrate on doing the exercise in its simplicity. Based on certain technical criteria, the facilitator may initiate a brief discussion and possibly a "special handling" concerning a certain automatic response and (when complete) continue the procedure. Give a fictitious example.

(v) Teamwork is the name of the game. There should be a high level of cooperation. Assistance will be given by the facilitator when needed. The facilitator should be kept informed by the viewer of what he/she is experiencing where this may be important or useful and the person should not assume that the facilitator knows what he is thinking or experiencing.

(vi) If significant benefits are to be achieved, the person will have to make a genuine commitment to doing the procedure(s) correctly and thoroughly. The person should do everything possible to ensure there are no shortcuts or cop outs (and to not depend on the facilitator in this regard). The person should be prepared to experience and "go through" anything that may occur during the sessions. The person should be committed enough to his own personal expansion to be prepared to do what is required to achieve it.

(vii) Explain that "being here" is a relative thing, as the more "free attention" a person has, the more awareness that person has and the more "here" that person can be. Both of these procedures have the potential to help a person become more and more "here" and to free up more and more "units of attention".

(viii) Introduce the procedure to be done first (or next) and explain how it will be done and what is required in adequate detail. Answer any questions and start the procedure. Educate and coach the person to do the procedure effectively per the section "Coaching and Advices" in the article "Facilitation Actions for the Being Here Procedure and the Focusing Procedure" of 10 January 1994 by the same author.

Acknowledgments:

These two procedures are based on the works of others, which were also based on the works of others before them, each adding to or modifying the basic approach in the light of new technologies and new understandings. The Focusing Procedure is primarily based on a procedure developed by Eddie Mace called "Procedure Attention Zero"  (1987-89). The Being Here Procedure is essentially the same as the "Just Being ProcedureD developed by Colin Macdonald (1990-92), who also contributed some additional facilitation actions to Eddie's Procedure Attention Zero.