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Ricardo Marques

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Has anyone ever thought about the fact that no one can live in the present?

Every bit of information our brains process is about something that has already happened. Any event we gain conscious knowledge of is already gone. The best examples are sound and light, everything we see and hear and when we notice that information has had to travel some distance, like fireworks. We see them and then hear them, but they blew up way before we know. To give it another twist lets use deep space exploration since pretty much all data being gathered now from planets light-years away, did happen years ago so we end up seeing many galaxies that no longer even exist.

Topics: Senses Space and Time brain consciousness
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    Mark Kurtz 10+

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    Aug 10 2012: I believe we are living in the present even when we are observing what happened in the past and when we make decisions. All life is present tense. We may observe what is presently happening; we consider what we learned about has happened in the past; we may also while in present thinking offer a prediction of the future.

    All thinking is present tense. Sub conscious stores, present conscious thinks, and super conscious is part of future preparation for decisions.

    Food for thought.
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      John Moonstroller 20+

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      Aug 19 2012: I can see that. The time that was my mother's generation was her life and we tend to categorized ourselves as living in generations as opposed to living in a moment of time. Perhaps a moment is too small for us to focus upon, or gives little sense to the real meaning of life.

      It is the summation of moments that give real meaning to life.
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      Colleen Steen 500+

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      Aug 20 2012: Mark and John,
      I agree that when we live in the present moment, we are observing what happened in the past, and possibley making plans for the future, but we are IN the present moment while remembering and planning.

      I believe what takes us out of the present moment, is focusing our time and energy on either the past or future. If we are constantly focused on the past (regurgitating events, living our life based on past experiences for example), we miss connection with the present moment. When we are very focused and dependant on future outcomes, we sometimes miss connection with experiences in the present moment.

      I agree with Mark....we can "observe" the past, and possibilities for the future while being aware of the present moment.

      John, I think of us humans, as a drop of water in the river, lake or ocean, constantly flowing in the life experience. We are tiny, and yet part of the bigger picture. We are tiny, as is the present moment, and yet very much a part of the whole. Depending on what an individuals worldview is, that "whole", can be the family, the community, the country, earth.......or beyond:>)

      I agree John...it is the summation of moments that give meaning to life:>)

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