29/06/2025
Seconds become minutes, days become years. Everything is like a flowing river, but when you look deeper - especially at the level of consciousness - time becomes a little different.
Objective time is what is measured by a clock or a calendar. It is fixed, predictable, measurable. It allows us to know when the shop will open, when the holidays will come, or how old we are. This is the language of physics - clear, linear, practical.
But this is not the only time we experience. Subjective time is the time we experience. It is when the holidays “fly by” and the traffic jam stretches. It is the time in which a whole life can be lived in one dream.
It is an inner reality that often does not correspond to objective time. This reveals something important: the perception of time is not fixed. It changes with the state of consciousness.
Who is it that perceives these rhythms of time? Behind it all is the observer - the part of consciousness that simply observes. When this observer changes focus, time changes too.
A little experiment to change your perception
Sit down, relax, let go, pay attention to what the clock is currently reading. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a very calm place - like a beach. Fully immerse yourself in the place and the feelings that come with being there. Linger for a while, then slowly come back to it, and pay attention to how much time has passed. It is very likely that much more time will have passed than you thought. In certain states, the observer may “split” - partly focusing on the inner experience and partly on the physical world. The perception of time is altered, but not completely lost.
When the observer withdraws completely from the perception of the environment (e.g. in deep meditation or vivid visualisation), the physical processes may continue, but no one is “at home” to interpret them. Meditation is an excellent way of experiencing the diversity of the passage of time, allowing the observer and consciousness to detach from the physical world.
