Rest your gaze near the centre of the screen and let lights at the edges be present without turning toward them.
Wide attention · about 3 minutes · eyes open
Most of the day, attention runs narrow. We look at one thing, then the next, and the edges of what we can see drop away. Les Fehmi noticed that this narrow, gripping style of attention is effortful, and that effort is what pushes the brain out of its relaxed alpha rhythm.
Periphery works from the outside in. Peripheral vision cannot be gripped. You cannot stare at the edge of your visual field; you can only let it be there. When you rest your gaze near the centre and allow the edges to stay present, attention widens on its own. That widening, rather than any particular light, is the practice.
The screen shows a soft field with a resting point near the centre. From time to time a light appears somewhere toward the edge. When you notice one, press Noticed, tap the field, or press Space. You do not need to look at the light directly, and there is no need to catch every one.
A short sample runs first so you can adjust visibility until the lights are comfortable to see. Lights that go unnoticed become clearer next time, never harder. Pressing when nothing is there quietens the field for a moment; the exercise cannot be rushed by guessing.
Rounds are shown as tick marks at the top of the screen. There are no numbers or score, and nothing is kept when you leave.
The exercise responds to your presses. It does not track your eyes, and it cannot tell whether your attention is wide or narrow. Noticing a light shows that you noticed a light. It does not establish alpha synchrony or any brain state.
Periphery is a good first exercise because it asks for almost nothing: sit, look softly, respond when something arrives. Many people find the edges of vision are the easiest route into wide attention.
A natural next step is Between, which moves from the edges of the field to the space itself. The introduction explains why Fehmi thought attention to space mattered, and the Seeing Wide meditation carries the same practice into a narrated, eyes-open session.
One of seven attention exercises after Les Fehmi's Open Focus method. "Open Focus" is a trademark of its owners; this independent project is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Source: Fehmi & Robbins, The Open-Focus Brain (2007). A wellbeing and education tool, not a medical device or a substitute for professional care. Created by Matt Knapp.