A short Eckhart Tolle talk exploring how time shapes human consciousness and identity. The speaker frames time as initially beneficial but later experienced as an enemy that obstructs realization of "divine Presence," and links the sense of self to memories and narratives (the "historical self").
Time at first is a wonderful thing because it gives you lots of things until you reach a certain age and from being your friend. Suddenly, time is no longer your friend, but your enemy, and you begin to realize that time is out to kill you. The greatest obstacle to the realization of divine Presence is time. It doesn't stop. You can't get off. It's dragging you along the way. But spiritual growth means that gradually the importance of time diminishes in your consciousness. But the important thing is your state of consciousness, totally dominated by time. Your sense of who you are is derived from certain memories and narratives in your mind about all the things that have brought you to this present moment. All these things provide you with a sense of identity. Historical self People call it my life.
Why alcohol feels like relief, and what it is really giving you | Eckhart Tolle
