The Regaining of Presence

With our turned-on, tuned-in society, fueled by ever more sophisticated electronics, we gain the false impression that we are getting up to date with what is right now. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are, in actuality, submersing ourselves in the past. 

No matter how current the information we receive seems to be, it is old news. It is not what is happening right now. As we are drawn further and further from the present we lose the ability to respond appropriately to our current situation. This fascination with our communication devices is a boost for the ego/self that is looking to avoid where life is taking us right now. Our devices are now an addiction to the past. Cell phones were meant to be a way in which we could talk to someone in the now. They have evolved, however, from a tool for present-focused communications to an addictive source of old news.

As an example, I recently observed a couple sitting across from each other in a restaurant who were both on their cell phones texting each other. They were forwarding Facebook posts back and forth, occasionally looking up to chuckle at something funny forwarded from the other. I thought was a lost opportunity to be communicating in the present moment.

Meditation on the present moment is a powerful way to help us get reoriented to our ability to have presence and be fully conscious in the present moment. There has been a mistaken impression that meditation was a way to escape what is, but nothing could be further from the truth. Meditation, whatever the technique learned, is about fully reengaging in the present moment. In retraining ourselves to be present we gain a nimbleness to respond quickly and appropriately to a rapidly changing world. We learn to reconnect in the present to people, events, and life.

So give yourself a break today. Put down your communication device and practice a learned method of meditation. Expand your engagement in the present moment and become aware of all you are missing. I think you will be surprised at what you experience.