Time Travel for Beginners

I had an epiphany in my therapy today. We are all time travellers, but most of us don't exercise much control over our own abilities.

If you think of it, how much of your life do you spend thinking about the past and worrying about the future? Most people do a lot of it. Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveller's Wife read and was filmed as a literal sci-fi romance but actually it was a metaphor for what we all do - dwell on past mistakes and agonise over our own possible futures, in some cases to the point of dysfunction.

By contrast Eckhart Tolle preaches that there is only the moment; that every time you think in the past or the future you are effectively removing yourself from, and so denying, reality and true purpose. Guilt rooted in the past and desire (even if only the desire to avoid pain and death) rooted in the future are the cause of our distress.

On the other hand, there are those who teach visualisation and other spiritual practices who say that we can find our way to reconciled pasts and visionary futures ... but we should do so in a very meditative and reflective way. Shakti Gawain is a writer who says we can use our "inner time traveller" (in effect) for healing and purpose.

Today's therapy made me realise that so much of what I have read (but not often practised) could be used to lift myself out of distress and into a better place. But time travel should be thoughtful and planned, like any literal journey. Just because we create a journey through time and space in our thoughts does not make it any less real. If you worry about being unemployed next year, the subsequent emotion can be just as real as if you had just been summoned to your bosses office and given your P45. 

Having had some lovely times with my family in the last few days I know that I can always close my eyes and recall those real pasts with pleasure. When I think back on the death of my mother I can do it not with distress but with memories of her goodness and her kindness. And I can think of futures where I am a better person, doing better things; which Shakti Gawain says increases the chance of those things happening in reality and not just in visions.

So be a Time Lord. Travel up and down your own timeline, but do it with love and care and only as an adjunct to trying to live in the beautiful here and now ... Which is probably why I blip, so that I can time travel in a good way. Talking of which:

LOOKING BACK:

Three years ago The Dizzle did Grease

Five years ago today we said goodbye to the lovely Coco, our first cat