In this talk on how your mind creates time and space Rupert Spira discusses how memory creates time and how space is a consequence of universal consciousness localising itself in the form of each of our finite minds.
He explains that space-time is not inherent in the fabric of reality — it is a mental construct. We think that time creates our memories but it's the other way around - memory creates time. Our individual minds forget things in time and his sense that there are numerous forgotten events creates the sense of time.
Now imagine that universal consciousness goes through a similar process of forgetting — not with events but with objects. So, instead of universal consciousness experiencing all objects simultaneously, it localizes its view and only experiences a small group of objects. Where is it going to house all the other objects that it is not aware of? In space.
In other words, time and space is as a result of the localizing of infinite consciousness in the form of each of our minds.
This video is taken from one of Rupert's in-person retreats at The Vedanta – 17th to 24th June, 2022. To view and book for upcoming retreats (many of which can be attended online via livestream) go to:
Our individual minds forget things in time, forget events in time.
And we have this, because we forget events, this sense that there are numerous forgotten events
creates the sense of time. Time is the container that houses all these forgotten events.
Yes, take breakfast this morning, that's an experience, it's an event that has
past that has been forgotten. What is it contained in? It's contained in time. We
imagine this container called time that houses all our forgotten experiences.
So it is, we think that time creates our memories. It's the other way around.
Memory creates time.
So now imagine that universal consciousness goes through a similar process of forgetting,
but not with events, but with objects. In other words, imagine that instead of universal
consciousness experiencing all objects simultaneously, it localizes its
view and only experiences one object or a small group of objects at the same time.
So where is it going to house all the other objects that it is not aware of?
In other words, all the objects in the universe that you are not aware of now,
because consciousness has localized itself in your mind. And as a result, it is not aware
through your mind of all the objects that exist in the universe. Where is it going to put them?
In space. So just as our own individual minds create time in order to house the events that
we have forgotten, and we create time as a container of all our memories, consider the
possibility that universal consciousness goes through a similar process, localizes itself
as each of our minds, and therefore is only aware of these few objects, cannot be aware of all the
other objects in the universe, so has to create a container to keep them, that space. So in other
words, it is as a result of the localizing of infinite consciousness in the form of each of
our minds that creates time and space. Time and space are not inherent in reality.
They are the inevitable consequence of consciousness localizing itself in the
form of a finite mind. In other words, space-time is not inherent in the fabric of reality.
It's a mental construction. Many contemporary physicists are saying the same thing now.
Space-time is not fundamental. It's how reality appears from the localized space and time,
how reality appears when viewed through the lens of a finite mind. It's a very hard thing to
talk about, because of course all we have with our minds are space and time. Everything we
talk about with our minds. All the words I'm using are derived from our experience in space
and time, but I'm trying to use them to somehow give us a taste of the nature of reality prior
to space and time. It's like we've all got orange-tinted glasses on, and we're looking
at the white snow. I'm trying to give you a taste of the white snow, even though we've all
got orange-tinted glasses on. The orange is not in the snow. The snow is white. It doesn't have
a color. It's the lens through which we look that can confer the orange tint on it. Space and time
is not out there. It's not part of reality. Reality has no dimensions. Space and time are
the color that the glasses of the human mind, thinking and perceiving, confer upon infinite
reality.
