Present to the Past and Future

            In keeping with recent articles on how A Course in Miracles students torture themselves, here’s another common mistake I encounter: “I know I’m not supposed to think about the past, but the other day I remembered this funny thing that happened…” or “I know I’m not supposed to think about the future, but I’m concerned I won’t have enough money to put my son through college…”

The Course does not say you should never think about the past or future, but rather living there is not helpful. It asks you to see that the past and future are only ideas in your mind now. And it points out one of ego’s chief illusions that causes you so much pain is seeing the past in the present. For example, you have a strong response, positive or negative, to someone you just met, and this likely indicates they remind you of someone from the past. You are not seeing them, but your own projection from your own past. You feel you know something about them, but you are seeing a mirage. Know this and give yourself time to get to know the person you just met. You may turn out to be right—they are like someone in your past. Or you could have simply had a strong reaction to a single physical or personality trait and the person is nothing like the person in your past. The lesson is, strong responses are always an indication you need to look at yourself now.

Memories are going to happen. Why not enjoy a pleasant memory for a moment? It’s an obstacle to peace only if you do not let it pass and try to hold onto it. Sometimes a memory can be a way of helping you to see patterns in your own thinking and behavior. For example, a song evokes a memory of a past relationship and going over what you felt went wrong in that relationship, you realize you are making the same mistake in the one you are in now. A memory can be a way of communicating with yourself about the present.

Of course, there is no good reason to dwell on bad memories. When a bad memory comes, feel what you feel, and let it go. If the memory is traumatic and you feel retraumatized, then you need trauma therapy to help release the memories from trauma triggering responses.

The future is pure fantasy because it never arrives. When it seems to, it is now again, and your conceptions of this future are in the past. For example, yesterday you dreaded attending today’s banquet. You were afraid of who you might bump into, and anyway you hate superficial socializing. Now you are at the banquet, so if you remember the dread you felt yesterday when the banquet was only a concept, that dread is past, a memory, only an idea in your mind now. Any negative feelings you have about the banquet now you must deal with now.

The Course points out that the future is an extension of the present, which means how you conceive of a future depends on what you are experiencing in the present.  For example, worry is simply negative fantasizing based on fear you feel now. And sometimes, fantasies about the future are to make up for what you feel was missing in the past—but you really feel is missing now. For example, you fantasize about a lover who left you wanting you back so that you can reject them as revenge. When you have this fantasy, you are feeling now the rejection that you want to avenge, so you must deal with it now. Fantasizing is a way to avoid dealing with the pain you are in now.

Sometimes you feel moved to make plans and to act for the future. For example, you feel moved to visit your family in another state and decide to go during your vacation time from work. You need to pick the date for this trip and make airline reservations and arrange to be picked up at the airport, as well as to make arrangements for someone to look after your home and pet. This is for the future but the movement and the ideas that occur to you for planning and the acts you take for the future are occurring now. You will make the plans and act accordingly and it will pass.

Don’t reject thoughts and feelings that come to you, no matter what they are. They are a mirage but repressing them holds onto them.  Allow them to come and to go. Act as you are moved to act and let it go. It is always now, so both past and future are just ideas in your mind now. If you understand this, they are not obstacles to peace because you always bring yourself back to what needs your attention in the present.

 

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