Now

Think about the concept of NOW. Try to define it as precisely as possible with a sentence or two. Take a few minutes to do this.

Only read the following after you have defined the word NOW.

Done?

Okay. Consider this aspect about time–that it is said to “pass,” and that this is known to happen when two events are separately noted as not being simultaneous. If you start counting aloud, you know that time passes between the spoken words “one,” “two,” etc. No matter how fast you count, you still know that some time passed between the utterances. Next, consider that any two thoughts that you have in a row are two mental events and that you know that time passes between the two thoughts. Also, note that you do not seem to have the ability to have two thoughts simultaneously.

Try it first by counting aloud and then just mentally to experience these short pieces of time.

Now, consider that objects are actually events or sets of events. In fact, modern science assures us that all the particles of matter that compose anything are in constant motion. It is said that everything is ephemeral, exactly like a figure eight made by the fast moving of a flashlight’s spot on a wall. It may seem that the figure eight is there, but in actuality, it is a series of images being reported to our brains in rapid succession. The essential nature of the figure eight is that of a spot of light, and when it is photographed by a very fast camera, amazingly, not a single quality of “eightness” will be seen in the photograph.

Just so, all objects, if viewed from a perceptual standpoint that is precisely NOW will seem to have none of the qualities that they have over time. In fact, logically speaking, the figure eight, as well as all objects, do not exist when solely seen in the instantaneous NOW.

Finally, consider the fact that, despite all of this, you feel yourself to be here and NOW.

Read the above a few times. Run it through your nervous system to let it soak into your definitions and concepts about ALL THIS and YOU.

After you’ve reread the above, read these questions:

Ask Yourself:

What am I when seen by a super-fast “camera” that captures “me” between thoughts? (Super-fast camera could also be expressed as the “instantaneously perceptions of the mind of God, or The Universe.”) What do I believe myself to be over time that is simply not the case NOW?

Are my thoughts “time-bound?” Does each one of them take time? Is each thought a series of smaller chemical events? What is it like to experience a thought NOW?

How can I know that time passes without also having the ability to be there when it doesn’t pass? Can time pass without me knowing it?

Am I beyond time? Is time itself an object that I observe from some transcendental standpoint? If I “am” NOW, am I not beyond time?

If I use my eyes to see a scene with many objects in it, and I recognize that my view contains many objects, am I having many thoughts at once? Can I actually be aware of the existence of multiple objects simultaneously? Would this be possible if my awareness was not in the NOW?

What part of me insists that I am a series of events (thoughts, emotions, memories, sensations, perceptions, etc.) when I so clearly exist in between  thoughts, too? Is that part of me necessary? Do I have to be a time-bound thing?

Am I a single point of consciousness that illuminates ALL THIS with a fast moving spotlight of awareness? How would I go about experiencing my awareness in action? Can I take the flashlight in my own hands and make my own figure eights? Am I, in fact, doing that ALL THE TIME, er….right NOW?

Why do I believe in the sound of trees as they fall in forests I am not in?