Does "The Power of Now" Turn You Into a Boring Zombie?

[VacMan]

Wow,

I just got through listening to "The Power of Now" 2 times through.

I've read a lot of forum posts on the subject of "Being in the Now" and similar concepts.

I also saw "The Peaceful Warrior" last night, and unknowingly that was actually about the power of being in the moment as well.

While I agree that the concept of being in the now is really intriguing, there are elements that I just can't seem to wrap my head around. (But I guess you're not really supposed to use your head anyway )

Mainly, it seems to me that being in the "now" definitely has it's distinct advantages, such as better focus, clarity, calmness, etc. It also seems to have the potential to completely disconnect you from all "human" elements.

For example:

A rock is in touch with now, it lives in the now, and according to "The Power of Now" the rock even is connected to consciousness, and being in touch with consciousness is the ultimate goal of "now."

Now... a rock is still, calm, definite, and it exists now, and as far as we know it does not have any "thought" to clear out of it's mind.

So is a rock the ultimate example of living in the now?

If so... I don't think I want to take the "living in the now" stuff too far

That's an extreme example, but honestly it does seem that a major element/benefit of "being in the now" is to transcend our thought, problems, time, and feelings.

Much of the information I've read/heard/seen on this topic suggests that it is bad to feel "love" because love has an opposite "hate/apathy" that will eventually be felt as well, and that the only way to truly experience unconditional love is to connect to consciousness.

When you connect to consciousness you are living in the "now."

When you live in the now, you transcend time, thus you have no memory of past events, or any predictions about future events.

When you can do this, and connect to consciousness, you can also transcend your "ego" or physical form and no longer identify with your human body. And thus are not effected by any suffering, discontent, problems etc.

This type of thinking begins to seem less and less about living in the now, but it seems like trying to run away from being human.

I agree that greater focus on where you are right now, and truly experiencing everything that life has to offer is very important. And we should not dwell on things that we can't change in the past, and we should not worry too much about the future.

I also think one should keep the "now" in mind, and keep themselves connected to life.

But I don't think I want to "transcend human form" and deny myself all the wonderful things that come with being human. Pain/Pleasure/Or otherwise.

Why be a rock? I like being human.

[XeutonMojukai]

When they say being in the Now, they don't mean to say that the Now is all there is.

Every day, I am a new person. I wake up, and if something good happens, then I'm happy, even if I was sad the day before, or angry.

Every hour, I am a new person. If something good happens, then I'm happy, even if I was sad the hour before, or angry.

This goes on down to the individual moments. If I don't do this for the individual moment, then it will not happen for the second that follows, or the minute, or the hour, or the day, or the lifetime.

To live in the moment is to paint the future with the present, and not the past.

So if something crappy happens to you, live it up. Be pissed, curse your circumstances, but keep on going anyway. As soon as something better happens, if you are truly living in the moment, you will feel a paradigm shift and your entire future will be brighter. When you are able to be alone, meditate and reflect on your day. You will be prepared for the next one's possibilities at least a little more than you were for today.

Such a life is intense, memorable, and hopeful at all times, because you are either riding a happy wave or reminding yourself of the inevitability of the next one, even in the worst moments of a sad or angry wave.

~ David

[cylon]

Now is LITERALLY all there is. Or ever will be. Impossible for anything other than now to exist.

I too watched Peaceful Warrior last night, quite liked it. I understand the book is much more indepth (as is usual with this stuff.)

I loved the Power of Now, I just started A New Earth. I don't think it's turned me into a Zombie. I laugh a lot more than I used to.

[ZHereford]

Originally Posted by VacMan

I also think one should keep the "now" in mind, and keep themselves connected to life.
But I don't think I want to "transcend human form" and deny myself all the wonderful things that come with being human. Pain/Pleasure/Or otherwise.
Why be a rock? I like being human.

I totally agree with you VacMan. I wrote an article on what living in the moment means to me. I too want to enjoy everything that being human entails. I'll never understand why some want to deny those aspects of ourselves.

[Max Power]

Living in the now is more about realising that your true self is all of creation inside now, inside the present moment and no where else. This places responsibility fully on you and that's how it should be.

It's never about denying you are a human bean, it's about accepting you are everything that exists right now inside of present moment awareness.

Being a human bean is wonderful, because you get to enjoy all the wonderful creations first hand through your human bean, which is something you can't do in god mode.

You can only create in the present moment, you can't go to the past or future, only right now exists and that is where everything is created.

Nothing exists outside of this day, which is one continuous moment. This day is all there is and that's why consciousness breaks in with unconsciousnesss.........sleep.

Max

[Acting Like Godot]

VacMan, I don't think you are understanding Eckhart Tolle's book properly. I thought I would share a personal perspective, based on my meditation practice.

When you are meditating regularly, you can access the power of now. Not merely during the actual meditation, but (for me) a period of about 36 hours after a deep meditation session.

During those 36 hours, I get peaceful, calm feelings. I also get the temporary ability to "not think". Lest you be mistaken, it's not about denial and it's not about being stupid.

It simply means that I temporarily have much greater control over my mind. For example, during those 36 hours, if I choose to do a complex piece of work (mine usually involves drafting 50-page legal documents), I can definitely think very clearly, in fact more clearly and precisely than before. There is improved concentration, and distracting, irrelevant thoughts are kept out.

I would be able to go about my daily routine with no chatter in my mind. Eg suppose I am walking from Point A to Point B. I would be literally able to walk from Point A and Point B with very minimal thoughts in my head. I would just walk, with full consciousness of the fresh air, the scenery, the goings-on about me. A simple walk becomes very enjoyable.

I don't know how to explain it any better - except to say that if you have ever taken a dog or a young child on a walk, and noted its joy and exuberance, just moving around, looking at things, paying attention to sounds and colours, well, it's like that. You're the dog/child.

Now if I actually decided to use my walking time to think about something, eg a work project, I would be able to. Furthermore I wouldn't get distracted by random, irrelevant thoughts about other things. That is what Eckhart is talking about.

It's not about "not thinking". It's about thinking when you want to or need to, and only about the things you want or need to think about.

If you want another analogy, the untrained mind is like an out-of-tune musical instrument that you can't stop yourself from playing, and making a lot of horrible sound that causes you a headache.

The trained mind, able to access the power of mind, is like a perfectly tuned musical instrument, which you play only when you choose to play.

[torilink]

For me the now is about empowering myself. Right now is all I have and I have all the power in the universe to create right NOW. If I look backwards to the past - All that power is gone. If I look to the future, likewise my power is gone. To manifest what I desire I must be in the now.

[Max Power]

Originally Posted by torilink

For me the now is about empowering myself. Right now is all I have and I have all the power in the universe to create right NOW. If I look backwards to the past - All that power is gone. If I look to the future, likewise my power is gone. To manifest what I desire I must be in the now.

Well said TL, I would add that the power doesn't ever leave the moment, when we think of the past, we create the past right now, so in a sense that power is just as powerful right now, because it's still creating.

Max

[torilink]

yes, I think so too max. I like to liken it to a pool of water, when you throw a rock in the center and the waves go out in all directions, that is how the Now effects past/future. It ripples back and forward. Yet, all the power is in the now.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

If you want another analogy, the untrained mind is like an out-of-tune musical instrument that you can't stop yourself from playing, and making a lot of horrible sound that causes you a headache.

The trained mind, able to access the power of mind, is like a perfectly tuned musical instrument, which you play only when you choose to play.

So well put. Thank you.

[VacMan]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for your replies!

I agree with the empowerment aspect of "now" and agree that the only time you can truly act, or create, or even think for that matter, is now.

This idea of action, or creation "in the now." is powerful, and I really did like the analogy of the out of tune and in tune instrument, as I do believe focused thought is powerful.

At the same time, I think that the book "The Power of Now" attempts to take the "now" and make it into something even more than just empowerment and action.

Eckhart Tolle (as far as I understand) specifically suggests that people transcend human form, and dis-identify with all form in general. He even states at the beginning of the book that he was on the verge of suicide and then had a "vortex" suck him inside himself and when he awoke, he no longer identified with his human form. He says that this change was permanent for him, and he believes that only a "few" people have been able to achieve this state.

He also goes on to say that the human race is diseased by the mind, and that we must learn to transcend it to basically save the world.

He says that love on a human level is merely satisfying an "egoic" desire to satisfy itself, and an urge to "reunite" with "oneness." Tolle suggests that this type of love on the physical plane is not necessary, and only satisfies your ego. I don't think he is discouraging relationships, but he is certainly minimizing them.

I get the feeling that he would like to see everyone "detach" from themselves and transcend all physical form.

This seems weird and kinda creepy to me.

I like the "now" for more real elements, such as action, empowerment, focus, clarity, and calmness.

Not transcending all that it is to be human.

Even if I am consciousness having a human experience, then why not really experience being human and stop trying to transcend it?

[absvan]

The Power of Now is talking about spiritual enlightenment - nonduality.
According to nonduality human form is an illusion and true freedom is achieved when you transcend that state.

The process of practicing present moment awareness helps you perform your dily activites better and be more peaceful. But that is only the beginning.

Continuing to practice or staying in that state will eventually lead you to get rid of your false mind or your ego - that which thinks you are separate from everything else. In simple words the Power of Now is talking about what you will experience when you practice the Buddhist meditation of watching your breath- Vipasana or Insight Meditation..........because following your breath means staying in this moment.

[openeyes]

Since one generally falls quite naturally into "the now" while participating in extreme sports, I'd say it hardly makes you a boring zombie. Instead it could mean there's less mental chatter and more worthwhile moments, as one acts when action is called for, and enjoys resting when appropriate. Rather than worrying about asking a girl out you simply do it. Rather than dreading homework you do it. Less waiting for the elusive moment, more living.

[Angela]

VacMan, you are projecting all kinds of your own stuff onto Eckhart Tolle. For instance, Tolle never said that Love is bad because it's opposite will eventually have to be felt, too. In fact, Tolle repeatedly says that love, peace and joy have no opposites.

Also, he never suggested that love is "merely" anything, least of all something egoic and undesirable. On the contrary, he holds love as his highest value. He does describe how what people normally and conventionally call "love" is an egoic strategy to avoid surrender; that is, the ego looking for its aliveness in another rather than being present to the one's one conscious vitality. That's where arise all these things like "betrayal" and "faithfulness" and all the suffering that comes with conventional romantic relationships.

Most importantly, the "disease" he speaks of is our tendency to identify with our thinking mind. That is, the insanity of believing we are our thoughts. If you recognize that your thoughts are not Who You Are, you are in a state of awareness that is bright, complete, whole, and now. That's really being human, in the best possible way! Tolle never said he wants people to transcend being human -- that would absolutely be the antithesis of being present! He simply would like to see people "wake up" to the realization that who we really are is the consciousness that recognizes its own human experience in the current moment.

[VacMan]

Angela,

Maybe I'm projecting...

Maybe I'm not

Check out some of Tolle's quotes on the subject:

"What is conventionally called "love" is an ego strategy to avoid surrender. You are looking to someone to give you that which can only come to you in the state of surrender. The ego uses that person as a substitute to avoid having to surrender. "

"When the ego singles something out and says "I love" this or that, it's an unconscious attempt to cover up or remove the deep-seated feelings that always accompany the ego: the discontent, the unhappiness, the sense of insufficiency that is so familiar. For a little while, the illusion actually works. Then inevitably, at some point, the person you singled out, or made special in your eyes, fails to function as a cover up for your pain, hate, discontent or unhappiness which all have their origin in that sense of insufficiency and incompleteness. Then, out comes the feeling that was covered up, and it gets projected onto the person that had been singled out and made special - who you thought would ultimately "save you." Suddenly love turns to hate. The ego doesn't realize that the hatred is a projection of the universal pain that you feel inside. The ego believes that this person is causing the pain. It doesn't realize that the pain is the universal feeling of not being connected with the deeper level of your being - not being at one with yourself. "

As I just have the audio version I'm having troubles finding others.

But as far as I understood, he is saying that the only "true" love is to be connected to consciousness which is a love that has no opposite.

[ZHereford]

What Eckhart Tolle is basically saying is that you can't love anyone else until you love and accept yourself.

[Angela]

Well, VacMan, I read exactly the same passages you quoted, as well as the rest of The Power of Now and A New Earth, and it looks like you and I are interpreting his words vastly differently.

To me, his work inspires a very clear sense of presence in the moment; to you, it seems to inspire fear and resistance. That's the way it goes.