TIME AND TIDE
Time is a strange counterpart apparently of space, famously linked in Einstein's Space/time equation E=MC2 published in 1905, Time is ubiquitous and gives order to our world in chronological events.
Time weaves into every aspect of our lives; we experience this differently at different times in our lives. Time can seem fleeting in the moments of great pleasure and happiness, yet long and drawn out in times of suffering and pain. The reason time is such an essential factor in therapy is because of the way we use and focus on time or our timeline of historical events. As human beings, we are meaning-makers of our realities through our perceptual filters and models of the world. If we look at issues that we often struggle with, there is always a time element. As an example PTSD, this occurs after a significant shock or series of shocks, as in the case of complex PTSD. This emotional imprint is experienced in flashbacks or triggers in the individual that elicit the same fear or terror that was initially encountered. In this scenario, the individual experiences this in the present time while going back in time to access the unprocessed memory. PTSD is a bit more complicated than just that simplistic overview, and perhaps I will write a piece on this one day soon, but hopefully, you can see the time orientation.
Many of our thoughts are in time and not in the present moment. Often we ruminate over wrongs, injustice, and tragedies and try to make sense of these events, or almost rewrite lifes events in the hope of a different feeling, or outcome, thus drawing our attention to the past. It's not always the past that we orient to though; the future is just as strong a draw for many of us. Anxiety is a prime example of this, because Anxiety is a future orientated fear held in the present moment, but created in the past. This may very well be under our conscious radar, meaning we can feel sensations in our body at various times, but not even be sure of their origins, and the Initial Sensitising Event. So Anxiety has the three components of time past, present and future, but seldom are we really aware of what is occurring in that moment, but often focused on the future and the feelings experienced.
This is where being mindful and using therapy to deconstruct our realities around time can really help in getting us back to the present moment. It is said that "History is written by the victor" we all have moments in life that we have to make sense of positive and negative, this is our story of self with all its meanings and feelings. But this narrative isn't really an absolute, it is a confabulation to give us an autobiographical self to navigate this world and make sense of our self and the world in time and space. "TIME AND TIDE WAITS FOR NO MAN" so try to use your wisely.
Tony.