There are moments of existence when time and space are more

Hear the haunting words of Charles Baudelaire, poet of shadows and prophet of fleeting ecstasies: “There are moments of existence when time and space are more profound, and the awareness of existence is immensely heightened.” These words capture the mystery of being itself, when the ordinary veil of life is torn away and the soul beholds its own presence in the universe with startling clarity. They are the words of one who walked between light and darkness, who knew both despair and exaltation, and who found in rare moments the trembling pulse of eternity.

The meaning is this: there are times when the flow of time seems to slow, when the vastness of space stretches before us not as background, but as something alive, almost sacred. These are not the common hours of routine and distraction, but rare instants when our awareness sharpens and we taste life in its raw intensity. It may come through joy, through sorrow, through beauty, or through terror—but in those moments, existence itself becomes luminous, and we are awakened to the grandeur of simply being.

The origin of these words lies in Baudelaire’s own struggle as a poet of the 19th century. In the midst of a Paris changing with modernity, he saw the alienation of crowds, the fleeting nature of beauty, and the intoxication of art. His great work, Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil), sought to capture the hidden depths of human existence—the anguish, the ecstasy, the longing for the infinite. For Baudelaire, heightened moments were gifts: flashes when the human spirit glimpsed eternity within the bounds of time and space.

History, too, testifies to this truth. Consider the story of Archimedes, who, upon discovering the principle of buoyancy, leapt from his bath crying “Eureka!” In that instant, his awareness of existence was heightened; the universe seemed to speak directly to him through the laws of nature. Or think of Joan of Arc, who in her visions felt the presence of the divine so profoundly that she stepped forth to change the course of nations. In each case, a fleeting moment of clarity became a turning point of history.

These moments, however, are not only for the great and renowned. They come also to the common soul: in watching a sunset blaze with indescribable color, in hearing a child’s laughter echo like eternity, in standing before loss and feeling the fragile preciousness of life. These are moments when the veil of routine is torn, and we sense that our existence is both fragile and infinite, bound by time yet brushing against the timeless.

The lesson is clear: we must not rush blindly through our days, drowned in noise and numb with distraction. Instead, we must open our eyes to the possibility of these profound instants. They cannot be forced, but they can be welcomed. Silence, reflection, beauty, and gratitude prepare the heart to receive them. To live well is not to fill every hour, but to be ready when time deepens and awareness awakens.

Practical action flows from this wisdom. Seek moments of stillness: walk beneath the night sky, pause to watch the play of light on water, give your full presence to those you love. Step away from the tyranny of constant distraction, and you will find that life itself begins to speak to you in deeper tones. Carry always the humility to be surprised, for it is often in the unexpected that these moments arrive.

Take this teaching as a guiding flame: the value of life is not measured only by years or achievements, but by those rare instants when existence shines with unbearable clarity. Cherish them, remember them, let them guide your path. For in them lies proof that beneath the flow of hours and the vastness of worlds, there is a mystery worth living for, a truth that whispers: to exist is already profound beyond measure.