In class we were asked to do a momentary exercise to see if we could recognize the field communiqué — the act of how knowing space communicates forward from the previous moment. We were to choose an object in the room and focus on what was essential about it, then, close our eyes and visualize the object’s essential aspects eliminating what was non-essential. This exercise was a way of introducing us to the next exercise called ‘Condensing’.
Visualize an Object
I chose a pale-green, oblong candle on a shelf, sitting among other items, in front of a window looking out on maple trees, and so on. So I focused or isolated the candle, and thought, as an object its shape was essential, and its color secondary. What struck me about the shape were its distinct ‘edges’ and ‘angles’. When I closed my eyes to visualize, I was looking for an image of the candle but it did not appear. There was just darkish swirling space cleaved in half by a distinct ‘edge’ and ‘angle’. And I realized the ‘field’ had ‘communicated forward’ what I held as essential to the visualization of the object.
I had seen the field communiqué in action. There was a pale green tinge to this almost indistinguishable shape that looked in its momentary arising as a basic structure, almost a wisp of the makings of an image of the candle. It would be up to further intellectual activity to add more aspects to the visualization if I chose, by ‘referring’ back to memory and calling up the wick and wax, and the human purpose of the object, etc. And I realized, this is how I do it, from moment to moment. A kind of whole consisting of essentials, as a sort of direct mental arising, as a process proceeds to build upon it. This is how I write, how I paint, how I solve problems at a basic and fundamental way.
DavidÂ
