Presence and imagination – are they opposites?
Sincere work on oneself is work on being, as well as knowledge. Thus a crucial point in the work is to recognize the difference between presence and imagination. Using these terms can help to understand each other when communicating about this subject.
Imagination is the state where our focus is on things that are not here and now. It relates also to the ‘imaginary picture’ we have of ourselves, i.e., capabilities and aspects that we think we have, but that often do not correspond to reality.
Presence has degrees. It requires a separation from imagination, identification, and negative emotions. The observer within us can see we are in imagination. Or it can see we are aware of the activity of the moment, connected to the present.
Two concepts for working in the Fourth Way
In the Fourth Way, we call this aware state “self-remembering.” The effort to put this state into practice includes “divided attention.”
As long as these two concepts remain theoretical, our inner work is theoretical. It is this situation that Queen Elizabeth I described when she said that a man’s feet and and his head are rarely in the same place.
The two things go hand in hand. Being present shows us our imagination, and seeing imagination reveals our presence.You could say that the more we are present, the more we see our imagination. Just as a shadow is visible only in sunlight, or dust on the table, as soon as you pull the window curtain.
Observation can only happen in the moment. This is why it has its value in being reaffirmed instantly. We could say, presence is here; imagination is ‘there.’
What you don’t see can hurt you
My experience is that we get closer to reality when we see that we spend most of the day in imagination. Seeing this requires a certain degree of presence. When you don’t see the lower self, it sees you, and assails you.
The verification of presence and imagination is really a priceless gift on which we can lay a stable foundation for work. This is also because we start to justify our sleep less, or to feel disgust for it. Our essence desires to be present.
Using shocks for awakening
To win this gift, we must do our part. When someone suddenly asks what we are thinking, the interruption is a shock. Shocks usually catch us in imagination. We need to appreciate the shocks that come. And we can add other shocks, artificially, to serve as daily alarm clocks, to wake us up and stop inertia. Good morning!
Giacomo Bardazzi is an administrator for a Italian Fourth Way group, Il Ricordo di sé, on Facebook, and a student of the Fourth Way for over a decade.