Engaged Presence

In our busy, frantic lives, we often live alienated from time. In this ordinary state, time usually feels fragmented, either as a constraint (e.g., deadlines, aging) or as something to manage (e.g., schedules). This alienation creates the perception of time as a force outside of us, something we must control or fight against. 

However, something different occurs in a state of flow. When we say it felt like we didn’t notice time passing, what we’re usually getting at is that the friction of time seems to fade away when we’re fully engaged. We feel more adequately immersed in its flow, alive to its rhythm and depth, surfing it like a wave. 

In these moments, worries fade not because the present moment is a place to escape but because we get in touch with our sense of agency, actively shaping what happens. It’s much harder to feel helpless when you see clearly how your actions matter, feeling hopeful instead.

In this post, I talk about how some wisdom traditions have interpreted mindfulness of the present moment as a way to get outside of time. Taking a different tack from this tradition, I show how an engaged presence represents a deeper intimacy with time.

Mindfulness and The Myth of Illusory Time

One of the most popular spiritual teachers today is Eckhart Tolle. In his speaking and writing, Tolle emphasizes the importance of the present moment, suggesting that attachment to past and future events creates an illusory sense of time that hinders spiritual awakening. He advocates for a state of presence where one transcends this illusion to connect with a deeper universal consciousness. For example, in this talk Transcending the Illusion of Time for Spiritual Growth, he says that “time is ultimately not helpful as far as your awakening is concerned.” These teachings have clear echoes of traditions like Hinduism and Buddhism that attribute time to the realm of māyā (illusion).

These traditions are valuable in different ways and this position rightly acknowledges the sense of alienation we feel when we are preoccupied with the past or present. However, we lose something important by rejecting time altogether. Tolle even acknowledges this tension between doing and being but sides decisively with being. By disavowing this important aspect of life, we risk creating unnecessary conflict within ourselves, but there may be another possibility yet: recognizing the value of both.

Reclaiming Time

One way to reclaim time is to reframe goals as intentions for the journey’s sake. Being very focused on a specific outcome creates a rigidity that can make us more vulnerable to emotional tumult. But it doesn’t mean that being aimless is a preferable alternative. Another way of putting this is that when we make a plan, its role is to help us contextualize our actions at the moment more than it is about a belief that things must go according to that plan.

This reclamation has implications for how we understand practices like meditation. Instead of meditating to let go of our grasp of time, getting immersed in the world and generating novel outcomes becomes a beautiful expression of our creative freedom. We combine reverence for the present moment with participation in it.

This way of looking at it adds a surprising twist to Eckhart Tolle’s ideas. Many meditators struggle because they are trying so hard to experience a moment of awakening. The spiritual teacher then diagnoses they are still too attached to egoic outcomes. But ironically, is this lofty goal itself what casts the shadow that led to the struggle in the first place?

We need new meditation pointers that help people develop an intimacy with the present moment that honors their role as participants in life with a healthy ego. It would be a more humane approach to living intentionally and with presence of mind. A wellspring that somebody can access anytime leads to more immersive work and more connecting relationships.

Three Meditation Pointers for Engaged Presence

I’ve designed the first pointer to help people cultivate basic awareness and the ability to differentiate between different things you can notice, often emphasizing the moments of freedom that this spaciousness creates.

Notice the flow of sensations around you: sounds, sights, the feeling of the ground beneath you. Offer attention to the moment you shift your breath from drawing it in to letting it out. Become aware of your emotional state, noticing any tension or softness in the body. Imagine your thoughts floating through your mind like clouds with so much spaciousness that you have room to decide whether you’d like to engage with them. 

The next pointer plays with the relationship we have with the world. I’ve designed it to create a sense of awe and positive regard.

Welcome any sensations, thoughts, or feelings that come up for you, looking at them warmly, with a sense of appreciation or maybe compassion. As things unfold around you, do you sense a curiosity about anything or call to something particular? How moved do you feel to respond to this moment? Notice the way you are both an observer and participant right now.

The last pointer is a technique for engaging more with feelings to help let them up into awareness. I’ve designed it to help people cope with uncomfortable emotions, but you can also apply it to positive ones.

Bring to mind a recent or current unsettling situation. Do you notice any sensations spontaneously come up? Any tingling, rumbling, tension, or spasms? Bring your awareness to that sensation with gentle curiosity. Imagine that it could travel up to your head. If this part of yourself had a voice, what would it say? Having sat with it, do you find this thought valid or want to challenge it in any way? Having reflected, do you need to influence this situation in any way?

Cherishing and Participating in the Moment

As we’ve seen, the present moment is a ground for presence and action: a place for doing and being. While some wisdom traditions had well-intentioned reasons for encouraging people to treat time as illusory, this often has led not only to detachment but also frustration when pursuing practices like meditation. However, with new pointers that blend practical engagement with heightened awareness, we can lead more fulfilling and smoother lives.