I went to a new meetup the other day called the Socrates Café and enjoyed a wonderful conversation among about 15 people. We met in an Atlanta Bread Company where we sat around a circle of small tables, drinking tea or coffee from 3-5 in the afternoon.
The convener is a young woman who clearly enjoys the process. Her eyes delight when she asks a new question, such as “Is this cup half empty or half full.” At one point, the conversation reminded me of a story I heard from Jean Houston, an amazing thinker, author and mystery school founder.
Apparently Jean was teaching a class and gave the assignment of going back in time, in their imagination, and visit a younger version of themselves. They were to select a time when there was significant challenge and to thus comfort their younger selves. Upon giving the assignment, Jean decided to do it herself.
She reported going back to her dorm room where a younger Jean was very distraught over some poor grade and other circumstances that she feared might result in failure. Jean told her younger self that she would get through this just fine, that she would go on to write several books, meet extremely interesting people around the world, and truly have an amazing life.
A week or so after this exercise, a memory occurred to Jean. She remembered being in her dorm room in college when this older woman visited her with much needed support. When she recalled that this woman had on an unusual outfit, Jean suddenly realized that she had worn that same outfit when doing the exercise the week before!
What is extremely interesting to me about this story is the question it raises about time. If this experience lives with her as a memory, when did it happen? More to the point, if time is malleable as quantum physics suggests, then did Jean become the accomplished writer, teacher and author because of this exercise done “later?” Which came first, if either?
I offer this story and suggest that we all consider going “back” in time to comfort our younger selves through difficult times. Perhaps we also can comfort ourselves now from a “future,” wiser self. Perhaps we can comfort others effectively in our imagination. It puts a whole new spin on prayer!
Feel free to email me any comment (since I've had to disable the comment setting here).
Blessings,
Gayatri
