Presence in a Connected Age
Eckhart Tolle in dialogue with Rich Fernandez
Wisdom 2 Conference
Eckhart Tolle in dialogue with Rich Fernandez
Wisdom 2 Conference
I think the topic of staying present while being in this world of constant distractions and lack of privacy is extremely important. So much has changed regarding technology in my lifetime, and I am really aware of how these changes have impacted my attention span. Lately, most t.v. shows and movies can’t hold my focus like they used to. When I have a free minute or two during a commercial break or in-between clients, I immediately engage in something on my phone. I probably check my email 20 times a day! And I am someone who is somewhat conscious of my thoughts and actions, and attempts to be more aware of the present. As Tolle says, this “bombardment” with distractions and “competing demands for time and attention” has impacted every area of our lives including relationships, work and mental health. As a child, my parents always told me that life seems to speed up each year you get older. I don’t think they could have possibly predicted how much technology has impacted our concept of time. I think this is the reason why more and more people in our country are becoming interested in mindfulness practices. There are so many positives to technology, but causing us to take the easiest and quickest route toward every goal is not one of them. When everyone at the dinner table is looking down at their phones instead of noticing who’s in front of them, relationships suffer. People seem to have less impulse control since almost no time is needed to take action. I agreed with Tolle that slowing down every once in a while and really “perceiving something like a child without an ego” would help people to increase enjoyment and reduce impulsivity. Being mindful can drastically reduce anxiety because thoughts have less power with awareness. As Tolle says, “your entire life unfolds in this place of now. The only reality the future has is the thought in your head”. This is so simple, but so many people suffer from lack of awareness and become engulfed in the stories in their heads. As a therapist, I want to make mindfulness more accessible to people. Like they mention in the video, formal meditation is not necessary and technology can actually be used to help us take space and be present for a moment. This video is a good reminder for me to take some time each day to “come into my senses and feel aliveness in my body”. - Natasha Shapiro