Hello, Dr. Grinder. You wrote, (1) "Does the 'fact' that we actively (albeit most frequently unconsciouly) select the portion of the ongoing flow of experience we attend to..." (2) "The question would then shift to whether we can learn to amplify our choices at the level of selective attention." By reading quotes (1) and (2), I got excited about finding out whether you equate selection with choice.  I think you don't, but please contradict me if I'm wrong about that. I can create examples of unconscious selection, in the practice of therapy.  Here are a few: (3) a therapist shows shock or dismay, upon hearing undesirable content from his client, content about the client's relapse behavior. (4) a therapist finds his client attractive, and is looking at her with smoky eyes. (5) a therapist has strong feelings against some of his client's behaviors, and he knows that those behaviors are not problem behaviors for his client, are legal behaviors, and are acceptable, even desirable, by many people in society, but he goes ahead and tells his client how he feels. Those examples illustrate events in which, other things being equal: (6) the therapist could have practiced selective attention, and thereby avoided the outcomes of the events.  Am I right? -nj