Re: Time

["Martin" <martin@...>]

Dear Rawn,

Thank you for your reply. It has given me food for thought.

>>This is a very valid thought. However, very few folks are capable 
of taking what they need from the Now and must un-learn the habits 
that prevent them from this. This is what takes time. :) Change 
also takes time, or rather, it requires a sequential series of small 
changes, lest the organism be changed so radically that it disrupts 
continuity and immediately ceases to exist.<<

When you write about 'un-learning the habits', I assume this 
ultimately boils down to the interference of the ego/egoic mind; the 
small self-made sense of self which the vast majority of humans 
(myself included!) continually associate with and place the whole of 
their identity into. 

On a personal level, I feel I am becoming evermore conscious of the 
divide between my egoic self and 'my' higher consciousness. I sense 
this as a tremendous internal battle which I am currently finding 
difficult to resolve. I can almost tangibly feel my ego fighting and 
resisting any changed which I may try to implement. I even stop to 
think about my use of the words 'I' and 'me' - although at this 
stage if I paused for too long to dwell on that point, I might be in 
danger of losing my sanity :) I am finding it difficult to sustain a 
regular spiritual practice because of this internal(?) conflict. 
However, since my obsessive thoughts are telling me that it would 
just be easier to give up and retain the status quo, and I recognize 
this as a tactice for self-preservation, a part of me is not willing 
to simply let things lie as they are, and I know that this 
increasing sense of panic by the egoic self must mean that it feels 
threatened and if it feels threatened, it must be by something 
bigger (and more True?). Hmmm... I think I just got lost in my own 
train of thought, so goodness knows what you will make of it all. I 
am hoping that there will be something that someone else recognizes 
here... or am I just losing my mind? ;-)

>>Simply connecting with the infinite Now is an impractical way of
creating permanent change within a modern individual, because
functioning in our world demands that we also function at the level 
of awareness that experiences the *sequence* of time.<<

I see what you mean. Tolle recommends that we also retain a 
percentage of our awareness within the inner body as we go about our 
business so that we rarely lose touch with what he calls 'Space 
Consciousness'. He talks/writes about creating a space 
around 'things' (including thoughts) so that we are not always 100% 
drawn into 'object consciousness'. Noticing the underlying field of 
silence/stillness in any moment creates a space and allows us to 
step back and observe a life situation without being totally 
immersed in the pull of 'things' in our life which all demand 
attention.

>> Actually, following Bardon's sequential system makes perfect 
sense for two reasons. Number one it honors the fact that this is 
how those of us who live in the world of clocks must learn and must 
change ourselves. And number two, because it inevitably leads to the 
awareness of the infinite Now and the ability to integrate the 
infinite amount of information contained therein.<<

This does make sense to me, but isn't time a man-made concept? Do we 
not have the power to *choose* to step out of it when we wish? Now 
assuming this is true (which it may not be, it's just an idea), I 
can see that we could require *time* to undo our misperception, but 
wouldn't that be paradoxical assuming that time is illusory? Would 
it not be like a dog chasing its own tail?

I have been reading sections of 'A Course in Miracles' which is 
distinctly Christian in its language. Personally, I hold no specific 
*religious* beliefs and have recently been reading books based on 
various teachings inclusing the Kabbalah and Zen Buddhism. Possibly 
due to my upbringing, I have never had much interest in Christian 
teachings - and although this book is by no means 'traditional', I 
thought I would try to redress the balance in my understanding of 
different approaches to spirituality. Anyway, here is a passage 
which I think fits in with this discussion of time:

"You have elected to be in time rather than eternity, and therefore 
believe you *are* in time. Yet your election is both free and 
alterable. You do not belong in time. Your place is only in 
eternity, where God Himself placed you forever."

>>Or perhaps he is thinking in terms of a complete shift to 
awareness of the Now. If so, then, as has always been the case, the 
only remedy for the present state of affairs if for *all* of 
humanity (or at the very least 1-2 *billion* individuals) to make 
this shift simultaneously. If the shift is not made globally, then 
the situation will not change on the global scale that is presently 
necessary. To my mind, this is where the sequential systems of 
spiritual advancement are essential as they lead to, or prepare 
individuals for, that global shift.<<

Wow... OK, whereas before I had a feeling I was out of my depth; now 
I know I am :) However, ever the fool, I have a couple of questions:

How will the shift be made simultaneously? What will instigate the 
shift? Will number of people who have become individually 
enlightened automatically lead to a shift in global consciousness?


>>On a slightly different note but related to the same topic of time 
verses personal development, Peter has experimented (successfully)
with TMO in this regard. He used a variation of "setting the tone 
of the temporal moment" to connect with his future-self at a point 
in time-space where certain abilities have been fully developed. :)
<<

Now I feel like Martin in Wonderland ;-). This idea of time travel 
blows my mind. I've so many broad questions on that, I wouldn't know 
where to begin. So I'll start with a more limited, concrete question 
(and possibly one which had a very obvious answer): what benefit 
does Peter derive from connecting to a future self? Is he able to 
act *as* that future self or merely observe? Or does he converse 
with the future self? I am trying to figure out the logic of it for 
myself. To my mind two selves could not exist simultaneouly, because 
we exist in our own "pocket of Nowness", so to connect to one's 
future-self would be to *be* that future self for that span 
of 'time'. Am I right? I have a headache now.

>> No, I haven't. Can you provide us with a weblink or titles of 
books, etc.?<<

Oh! I can answer this bit!

Eckhart Tolle's book is called 'The Power of Now' and is published 
by Hodder & Stoughton. The ISBN number is: 0 340 73350 0

His website is: www.eckharttolle.com

To listen to fairly long extracts from his audio material (or to 
download the full CDs), go to:

http://www.audible.com and search for 'Eckhart Tolle', then click on 
the title and you will hve the option of listening to a sample.

Martin