Old days, dice and investigator's manual

Moran pointed to a dark cushion backlit by the light, and Isaac moved to another spot to sit down.

"Take three deep breaths, then let your breathing return to a natural rhythm." Moran's voice carried a hint of feigned mystery, which was probably her usual sales pitch.

Isaac did as instructed, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, repeating this three times.

Moran took out a small tin box, opened the lid, and found it half-filled with a paste that emitted a cool, pungent smell, like a mixture of mint, camphor, and some kind of herb.

She dipped her finger in the balm and gestured to Isaac: "When meditating, beginners often lose focus and their thoughts wander. They need an external anchor to fix their consciousness. This balm can help you focus your attention on a specific point."

"What is this made of?"

"Beeswax, peppermint, camphor, and a little bit of herbal ingredients. Don't worry, it's not any illegal stuff, otherwise I wouldn't be able to keep this class going."

Moran leaned forward, dipped her fingertips in the cooling balm, and dabbed it on Isaac's forehead. The warmth of her fingertips carried the balm onto his skin, and the coolness seeped in.

She withdrew her hand and sat back on the mat: "Close your eyes and feel the area where the menthol ointment was applied. Notice the temperature change there, from cool to warm, and then disappear. Throughout the process, keep your attention focused on that area and don't think about anything else."

Isaac closed his eyes as instructed, feeling the coolness on the skin between his eyebrows, and slowed his breathing.

He could feel the coolness slowly seeping in, the warmth and coolness intertwining, the edges gradually blurring. After a few minutes, the coolness began to weaken, transforming from a sharp stimulation into a warm aftertaste.

Isaac opened his eyes when the last trace of touch had completely disappeared.

When Moran saw him open his eyes, she asked, "How are you feeling?"

Isaac thought for a moment, then focused his attention on the area where he had applied the cooling balm. He could feel his mind calm down, and the distractions from the surrounding environment were greatly reduced. His other senses seemed to quiet down, leaving only the area between his eyebrows as the most distinct sensation.

"It's easier to concentrate than I thought," he said. "The area where I applied the menthol balm helps to hold my attention and prevents my mind from wandering."

Moran said, "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't say anything more here. After all, most people come to me for a novel and mysterious experience, and to go back and brag to others that they've taken a spiritual course, so I can sell a few more boxes of Tiger Balm."

"But since Schuster sent you to me to learn clairvoyance, I have to make things clear. These kinds of tools can only help you get started; you can't rely on them to enter a meditative state. The most common mistake beginners make is getting addicted to shortcuts and thinking that they can easily enter a meditative state with the help of tools."

"Whether it's mentholatum, aromatherapy, or candles, they essentially provide an anchor for beginners, helping them pull their attention back from chaotic thoughts. But if you get used to relying on these things to calm down, you'll find your mind noisier than a marketplace once you don't have them."

"The core of meditation is the ability to control your attention, a state you can enter anytime, anywhere. It doesn't require props or a specific environment; you can calm your mind anywhere."

"I understand," Isaac said. "So, what should I do next?"

"Practice every day after you get back. Don't try to practice for too long, as that can make you sleepy. Start with ten minutes and gradually increase the time. If you have any questions, you can come anytime between 2 pm and 7 pm, except Sundays. Once you can enter a stable meditative state, then you can move on to the next step."

She exhaled a puff of smoke: "Any other questions?"

"Hmm, Ms. Moran, why is meditation necessary before developing clairvoyance?"

Moran glanced at him sideways: "You activated your spiritual vision before, were your eyes closed at the time?"

Isaac nodded.

"Shuster told you why, didn't he?"

"He mentioned that clairvoyance is the process of eliminating physical vision in exchange for spiritual vision. Unless one has mastered the 'dual senses,' one cannot see with one's eyes open."

Moran twirled the tassels of her shawl: "That's right, the essence of spiritual vision is to shift your perception from the material level to the spiritual level."

"Human perception is naturally biased towards the material level, which is determined by the survival instinct. The eyes need to see things, the ears need to hear sounds, and the skin needs to feel touch. These are all material information that constitutes the reality you perceive in daily life."

"But spiritual information also exists, it's just that people's senses filter it out by default, because most people cannot process information from both levels at the same time."

"Meditation is about bringing your attention back from the material world. When you close your eyes, blocking the most visual distractions, and then calm your mind through meditation, the noise of the material world will subside."

"Then, under conscious guidance, actively adjust the focus of perception and shift it towards the spiritual level, which is to open spiritual vision and see things that cannot be seen normally."

Isaac said thoughtfully, "So meditation is the foundation for shifting perception."

"Yes, without a foundation in meditation, forcibly activating spiritual vision will always be subject to interference from the material world. It's like lighting a lamp in a strong wind; even if it's lit, the light will be too bright to see clearly, and you might even experience a bunch of hallucinations."

"As for 'dual focus,' that's something more profound. It allows perception to be anchored on both the material and spiritual levels simultaneously, so that you can see things on the spiritual level even with your eyes open. I haven't mastered this technique yet, and you don't need to think about it now. Just focus on practicing meditation first."

"clear."

"Take this tin of cooling balm back with you. Like I said, you can use it during practice, but don't rely on it." Moran pushed the remaining small tin box over. "Tell Schuster that I've been teaching you properly."

Does that mean, "If you accept my things, don't talk badly about me to Carlo when you get back?" This lesson is really unfair... Isaac took the tin box and replied, "I will pass it on."

"Alright, that's enough for today. There's no point in teaching you more now, and you'll easily forget it anyway."

Isaac rose and nodded to Moran, saying, "Goodbye, Ms. Moran."

Moran waved her hand, her cigarette dangling from her lips.

Back at the office, just past five o'clock, Carlo sat behind his desk yawning.

Isaac was somewhat surprised: "Boss, you're back quite early."

At this hour, aren't people usually still waiting for dinner at the FBI? If the agency weren't located between Moran's residence and the FBI, he would have gone to the FBI for dinner first.

"Since we're going to the black market tonight, let's skip the potatoes at the FBI and go out for a proper dinner," Carlo said. "What's Moran like?"

Isaac thought for a moment: "He seems a bit like a court wizard."

After he finished speaking, he paused for a moment.

Carlo rested his chin on his hand: "Many people say she's like a medium, even more say she's a charlatan, a court wizard... that's a novel idea."