GuidoWorld

Fictional Space

May 15, 2009 on 1:50 pm | In General |

In this post I’d like to pay homage to our ability to live in time, to not be imprisoned in the present. Many of today’s spiritual practices have a tendency to glorify the present while tacitly demeaning the past and the future. Some thirty years ago I wrote a song entitled Fictional Space which I will use to highlight some of my points.

By fictional space I’m referring to our ability to go beyond the present moment by drawing upon our past and projecting into the future. Since the present is often considered “the real” the “what is really happening” the past and the present could be viewed as being non-real or fictional.

My memories, my past, infuses my life with meaning. My personal history constructs my sense of self and allows me to have relationships with others, to develop skills and talents, and to perceive growth and development.

The ability to project my life into a future provides me an opportunity to plan, set goals, change direction and anticipate. Anticipation is an important ingredient in my ability to feel and experience pleasure.

A life lived totally in the present would lack depth and meaning it would be a flat and unguided existence. Totally bereft of meaning and a sense of purpose.

These thoughts are contained in my song Fictional Space which follows. I’ll talk more on a few of the following lines.

Fictional Space

There’s something of the mind which plays off circumstance
Like a servant pampered king it can be wise or frivolous
Unencumbered one used for strategy of evasion
Place me straddled on this life
Vision gives me power and might
Bash their monstrous heads, the survivors scheme
Lovers engulfed orgasmic anticipation
The hunter laughs at the snap of the trap

Fictional space

There’s something that’s the style which I won’t represent
It’s a feeling of denial wan discouragement
Harlots of the soul lost in merriment
Visceral drives buried by excitement

Moments take pride in invention
Problems provoke awkward hesitation
Solution, look to friendly vistas
The future beckons the agile dancer

Fictional space

Make me alive set me on fire
Make me alive celluloid fire

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There’s something of the mind which plays off circumstance
Like a servant pampered king it can be wise or frivolous

My ability to have a future and a past is a function of my mind which plays off the present circumstance. This ability can be used well or wasted. One can use this freedom and talent to make a life fulfilling or construct a babbling mind dedicated to avoiding the world and personal experience.

Unencumbered one used for strategy of evasion
Place me straddled on this life

This freedom to play with time gives my life depth and meaning, and at each moment I am free to weave together my past, present and future into a life.

I’ll let you play with the rest of the lyrics.

Yet, in the end I prefer to see “being here now” or “existing in the present” as useful tools and not absolute goals. Being fully aware and immersed in the present would be a form of imprisonment and would not lead to “enlightenment” , “fulfillment”, or a better life.

I embrace my humanity and revel in my sense of time and the fullness it brings to my experiences and my sense of self.

Jim Guido