The Paradox of Time

The Paradox of Time
 
This week’s blog starts with an excerpt from Eckhart Tolle’s book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose.
 

The Paradox of Time (pages 204-206)

On the surface, the present moment is “what happens.” Since what happens changes continuously, it seems that every day of your life consists of thousands of moments in which different things happen. Time is seen as the endless succession of moments, some “good”, some “bad.” Yet, if you look more closely, that is to say, through your own immediate experience, you find that there are not many moments at all. You discover that there is only ever this moment. Life is always now. Your entire life unfolds in this constant Now. Even past or future moments only exist when you remember or anticipate them, and you do so by thinking about them in the only moment there is: this one.
 
Why does it appear then as if there were many moments? Because the present moment is confused with what happens, confused with content. The space of Now is confused with what happens in that space. The confusion of the present moment with content gives rise not only to the illusion of time, but also to the illusion of ego.

There is a paradox here. On the one hand, how can we deny the reality of time? You need it to go from here to there, to prepare a meal, build a house, read this book. You need time to grow up, to learn new things. Whatever you do seems to take time. Everything is subject to it and eventually “this bloody tyrant time,” as Shakespeare calls it, is going to kill you. You could compare it to a raging river that drags you along with it, or a fire in which everything is consumed.

I recently met some old friends, a family I have not seen in a long time, and I was shocked when I saw them. I almost asked, “Are you ill? What happened? Who did this to you?” The mother, who walked with a cane, seemed to have shrunk in size, her face shriveled like an old apple. The daughter, who had been full of energy, enthusiasm, and the expectations of youth when I last saw her, seemed worn out, tired after bringing up three children. Then I remembered: Almost thirty years had passed since we last met. Time had done this to them. And I’m sure they were just as shocked when they saw me.

Everything seems to be subject to time, yet it all happens in the Now. That is the paradox. Wherever you look, there is plenty of circumstantial evidence for the reality of time – a rotting apple, your face in the bathroom mirror compared to your face in a photo taken thirty years ago – yet you never find any direct evidence, you never experience time itself. You only ever experience the present moment, or rather what happens in it. If you go by direct evidence only, then there is no time, and the Now is all there ever is.
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I really love how he points to the fact that there is only the eternal Now moment and not actually a string of moments. I love the feeling of the distinction of the space of Now versus what happens in that space and the felt difference between the two. See if you can observe a separation between happenings around you and the space that is Now. To me, the space itself is pure awareness and stillness itself. Many things are happening within that space, but they are not the space and they are not the Now. When I shift my attention to the spaciousness of Now, my whole body relaxes and I can feel my mind slow down to the speed of Now rather than the speed of happenings. Get curious and see if you can feel the timelessness of the ever-present Now. It is the same moment that has always been and will always be. There has never been more than this one moment of spacious Now. As I reflect on this moment in this moment, it feels somehow sacred. It's aliveness. It's life itself. It's filled with God. There is no "each moment." There is only Now.
 
How do you experience the space of Now?

With Love, 

Sara Joy

Upcoming Events:

Immersion Retreat Day: Saturday, September 20, 2025, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm *A few spots still available!
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Nestled in the serene forest of St. Brigid’s Villa, just outside Guelph, Ontario, this one-day Immersion Retreat invites you to experience a profound shift in how you live and feel. Guided by Dr. Sara Joy O’Neill, you’ll dive into the transformative wisdom of the Three Principles and melt into the restorative power of relaxing, healing bodywork. This is your chance to awaken to a life filled with ease, clarity, and deep fulfilment.
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If you like the blog content, you may like these podcasts:

Juggling It All With Joy: Balancing Three Businesses and Two Teenagers With Sara Joy O'Neill
https://www.shailiastephens.com/podcasts/time-for-you-nurturing-presence-love-and-well-being/episodes/2148925239

From Freaked Out To Freed Up Podcast - Navigating Life From The Inside Out - A conversation with Sara Joy O'Neill https://youtu.be/eWkFfhbHFeY

Wildspire Podcast: Bliss and The Bigness of Who You Really Are With Dr. Sara Joy O'Neill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s1Ms-ke_40

Insight Cafe Podcast Ep 58 - A Deeper Feeling of Life with Sara Joy O'Neill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR5NZjZGn_c&list=PLkZYwci8aKNAvSc28uXDmGm3tr9bUUW09&index=58

Growing Pains With Andrew Heckman Ep 23 With Sara Joy O'Neill - *Caution: Explicit language, alcohol, and cannabis use  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Wl_F4LLUQ&t=9s or 
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ksYWvIBvgU37vSbYUHSDz?si=tmyoY9FzR_e6wCnQGgBTlg