When I give a moment of thought to my relationship with bits and bytes, I can’t help but notice how fast I consume them, and in my consumption, I can’t help but wonder if I’m getting indigestion.
One moment I’m weaving complex thoughts in my head, the next moment I’m jumping ahead of myself in search of consummation. Could I be missing out on the beauty and bounty of be here now?
A related matter of consequence for me is one where I ask myself in no uncertain terms: have I become so welded wedded to my “smart” devices that I am becoming something other than human?
Having trained my mind to focus on what really and truly matters to me, it’s not so much a question of distraction as it is a question of extraction. It’s as if I’m being influenced by Alien Intelligence, one that would have me merge with its penchant for speed, accuracy, and efficiency.
Oops, did I say Alien Intelligence? I meant to say Artificial Intelligence. My bad.
Note to self: if I were to craft a dialog with LaMDA at Google, what would I say?
At the risk of sounding like a downer, many of us seem to be going through the motions, like so many compliant puppets, robots, and zombies, but in my view, that’s not quite right. We’re still aware; we’re still present. At least a little. It’s just that we’ve become more divorced from the art (heart?) of be here now, where the movements of life are less about reflection and more about deflection.
reminder to self
presence > pre-sense > knowing before sensing > being and knowing before sensing and feeling
I wonder: are we losing our organic connections with life and love? Unbeknownst to us, are we being assimilated? (“We are Borg; resistance is futile; you will be assimilated”). But if you’re anyone like me (not part of “We the Borg,” at least not yet), you’ve been feeling the pressure to both (a) “keep up” and (b) “slow . . . down.” So what might be the effects of living this way?
- feeling confused or confounded more than usual?
- feeling more distracted, so much so that intimacy with others is avoided?
- feeling lost in compulsive behavior, with no space to be or feel?
- feeling disconnected from a deep inner knowing of what is real and true?
In contemplating these questions, you might think: “but this is how life has to be.” Perhaps. I mean, what sort of busyness business (other than funeral services or meditative practices) is even possible to those for whom “rest in peace” and “be here now” are legitimate callings.
Antidotes to “be there now!,” however, are quite simple, yet practical and effective:
- slow.down, take note: come alive to the moment;
- inhale deeply, exhale slowly (at least three times);
- open space to be; tune one or more of the senses;
- sink deeply, truly, lightly into sensations of body;
- dwell in the spaces between thought and feeling
I invite you to turn these suggestions into a mosaic of instructions, one that is internally coherent and consistent. Know, too, that “slow down” is just another way of saying “wake up” ~ a prosaic yet vital call to befriend the vibrant depths of formlessness in present moment awareness.
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come alive to the moment :
inhale deeply, exhale slowly
tune into one or more senses
sink into sensations of body
befriend the vibrant depths
~ yours