The Reticular Activating System, or RAS, is the information processing system that helps us focus on incoming sensory information and not be overwhelmed by it. We have meaning-making minds that take in raw data from the external world, we process it and then create meaning from it (programming). Incoming data from the the external world comes via our 5 senses (VAKOG - visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, olfactory and gustatory). Incredibly there are between 20 and 40 million bits of information that bombard us a second. We can only cope with between 5 and 9 bits of information a second. The RAS filters all incoming sensory information and channels it into the limited conscious or unlimited unconscious mind. It is our beliefs, attitudes, values, and conditioning which filter the incoming data. Information deemed unimportant is relegated to the unconscious and become 'invisible' to us - we only focus on the conscious information. We use filtering processes to process the information - these include things like Deletion, Distortion, Generalisation. We attribute meaning to things based on our previous learning/ conditioning, experiences, values and beliefs - those are the things we focus on. We think, feel and act on those things we focus on - where focus goes, energy flows!
By implication we focus on that which the RAS considers important, but we ignore and overlook all sorts of other information and potential opportunities which could possibly benefit and help us if they were conscious. This means we can also consciously CHOOSE to set our filters on other good things which we want our RAS to notice and channel to our conscious mind. We can only realise (make real or turn into reality) things that we notice, focus on and have in our conscious minds! Have you noticed how, when you have bought a new car, for example, you suddenly start noticing just how many cars of that brand are on the road.... it's because it's suddenly 'top-of-mind' before that, it was irrelevant and you simply hadn't noticed them. Now just imagine how you can use your RAS to focus on things you wish to affirm in your life - love, happiness, success.... if you are not focusing on them they just vanish into your unconscious mind. Use your RAS to manifest what you want to realise! Where focus goes energy flows!!!