Proceedings, Oxford, UK (2002) - World Federation of Music Therapy

time that is reflected in our mortality: linear time. We are born and at
some time in the future we will die. It is apparent to me however that our
experience of time is anything but linear. It is in fact extremely difficult
to live consciously moment-by-moment, within the flow of linear time.
Our minds, consciously and unconsciously ignore the boundaries of the
present moment. And yet I feel we give enormous credibility to clock
time and do not pay enough attention to what is gained by our ability to
think and feel beyond the present moment. The opposition of a sense of
time awareness, and awareness of our mortality, and the sense of
timelessness, or something that goes beyond our current understanding of
linear time is a fundamental error. What about ‘both-and’ rather than
‘either-or’.
Our imagination indicates that the way we use and relate to time
generally is simple and exclusive. I feel we should be looking towards a
more subtle and inclusive, conscious understanding.
But, as Jung suggests, the exciting fact is that one-directedness will
produce a counteracting balance. So it does not surprise me that many
scientific breakthroughs are being made regarding the nature of time.
What is it that is breaking through? I suggest it is a collective
unconscious balancing of the contemporary psyche. It is no coincidence
that it is our society, so time bound, the first society to have a universal
measurement of time, that now sees there is not one time but many
different times in the universe. The imagination of the scientist is
rescuing us and balancing our perspective on what time is and therefore
what life is.
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