Priming

Priming is the first stage, when we are starting to become aware of something or when we are starting to become aware that something is relevant to ourselves. This can happen in a few different ways.

Fast to Slow

There are some very quick neural processes that can be involved in priming. For example, if we see words like, "criminal", "dangerous", "evil" flashed in front of us very quickly, we will be faster and more likely to make negative observations about ambiguous persons we see soon afterwards. (Most of us are familiar with the idea of subliminal advertising.) The same is true for topics such as sexual arousal, relaxation, people we know, etc. This process also influences "triggering" for issues such as addictions, obsessions, etc. We can learn to speed up our attention to notice things at a quick rate, and we can also learn how to slow down most things in order to think about them. (But many of our responses occur faster than thought.)

Small to Big

Besides things which enter awareness briefly or quickly, there are other things that we may be completely unaware of because they are too small for us to register. An apprentice begins learning a craft but often cannot imagine what distinguishes his work from a master craftsman's. (Even a trained apprentice will be better than I am at many jobs, getting the main steps right.) The master's expert experience lends to paying attention to very minute details that the apprentice has not yet learned to notice. In this type of situation, our brains can actually grow towards being able to recognize smaller and more complex details. This process will happen over months to years. Experts may have trouble putting their expertise into words, feeling more that they simply have the right "touch".

Ambiguous to Obvious

Other things are always there or have been around for a long time, but we simply don't notice them for various reasons. When we begin to notice them, they start off as ambiguous or vague. So when we are trying to learn something like a new language, the meanings are often ambiguous or vague, and we slowly learn how to make sense of large amounts of information. Or, say that you see obvious signs your neighbor doesn't. His marriage is on the fritz, his wife is unhappy, but he doesn't know it yet. Eventually, he will start to notice that there are strange moments where he can't understand why his wife is acting the way she is. He will feel somewhat confused, knowing that something is happening but not knowing what. We also enjoy watching this process with our pets. Have you ever laughed at a dog for that quizzical look they give something they don't understand--say a remote controlled electric car? In that type of instance, the car is obvious to the dog, but it is not at all obvious to the dog WHAT that thing is.

Each of these types of priming can happen with enjoyable things or actions and also with uncomfortable things or actions. As material moves from the unknown to an area of liminal or peripheral awareness, we feel that we are getting glimpses or hints of something but we don't necessarily know what. Since first impressions count, we can prime for success and enjoyment involving many of these things--and if that doesn't happen, people will often feel as if they have a small voice warning them away from these things; in such a case, they have been primed towards a negative experience.

For teaching meditation to beginners, I like to begin with deep breathing. When people breathe deeply, it tends to engage certain physical processes that relax the body. When the body relaxes, the mind tends to relax. Herbert Benson called this the "relaxation response". You can feel it and notice it. Since awareness of breath is a good tool for many types of meditation, a good first experience that feels "successful" primes people for a feeling of competence and positive results, which lends itself to maintaining engagement.

(Obviously, I'm using the word "priming" in a few different ways here. I often move from a general or mushy usage to increasing precision.)