Tunnel Vision

Daily Meditation 746–3/14/2024

Tunnel vision is this idea that when you’re really, really focused on something, you have “blinders” on like a horse, keeping you only able to look directly forward, metaphorically (or literally), and you aren’t paying attention anywhere else.

You’ve probably experienced something like tunnel vision.

You’re hopped up on 3 cups of coffee, running a little late, and traffic is tight but not jammed on the freeway as you flick your head back and forth, weaving through traffic.

You are zoned in, laughing, and engaging well in a fresh interview.

Gaming — maybe League or maybe Destiny — you’re leading the pack as you play against others competitively. The outside world is utterly closed off to you, no hearing the cat meowing, no heeding your mother’s call…

That’s some instances of “tunnel vision” in our daily life. We don’t generally get tunneled in like that, as intense focus is pretty mentally exhausting for us. Usually, instead, we get a mix of some awareness and some focus where our passive system unconsciously is paying attention. That tunnel vision it feels like we override that passivity and have total control.

All that said, our lives have vision, too.