Time is an illusion. Time only exists when we think about the

Time, as the great artist Marina Abramović profoundly states, is an illusion. It is not a tangible force that governs our lives, but a construct that arises only when we dwell on the past or look anxiously to the future. In the present moment, the here and now, time ceases to exist. This realization calls us to examine the true nature of existence, urging us to see that our lives are not bound by a ticking clock but by our connection to the present. Time, as we commonly perceive it, only exists when we create it in our minds through reflection or anticipation. In the eternal now, time vanishes, leaving only our experience of being.

This wisdom echoes the teachings of the ancient Stoics, who understood that the only moment we truly possess is the present. Marcus Aurelius, in his meditations, reminded himself that we have power only over our actions in the moment and that the past is gone, the future uncertain. The Stoics believed that our obsession with time—whether longing for what is lost or fearing what is to come—steals our peace and robs us of the present. Time, in their view, is an illusion that distracts us from living fully. The great Stoic philosopher Epictetus taught that it is only by mastering our thoughts and embracing the present that we free ourselves from the chains of time.

Consider the story of Socrates, whose life was not bound by the relentless pursuit of the future or the weight of his past. On the day of his death, he was unperturbed by the inevitable, knowing that time was merely a distraction. His mind was fixed not on the years he had lived, nor the ones yet to come, but on the wisdom he had accumulated and the conversations he still wished to have. In his final moments, he lived fully in the present, a testament to the timelessness of the human spirit when it is freed from the shackles of time. Socrates understood that true fulfillment comes from being in the moment, not from rushing toward a future or lamenting the past.

Marina Abramović, much like these ancient philosophers, speaks to the truth that the present moment is all we truly control. Her performances often challenge her audience to confront their awareness of time, forcing them to witness their own perceptions of it. She creates spaces where the present is all that exists, where the clock does not tick, and where awareness is the sole measure of existence. In her work, time is stripped away, leaving only the raw, undiluted experience of being in the now. Abramović’s exploration of this concept through performance art is a modern echo of the ancient understanding that time is not a force we must fight against but a shadow we must see through.

The Buddha taught similar principles, emphasizing that attachment to time—whether to the past or the future—creates suffering. The past is a memory, and the future is a dream; only in the present moment can we find peace and enlightenment. The practice of mindfulness, a cornerstone of Buddhist philosophy, is a direct response to this illusion of time. By training ourselves to focus on the present, we break free from the cycle of desire and fear that time perpetuates. In the present, we are free, and it is only by immersing ourselves in this freedom that we can achieve true inner peace.

The lesson here is clear: time does not control us unless we allow it to. The present moment is all we have, and it is in this moment that we must choose to live, to be fully present with ourselves, and to embrace the now. To live with awareness of the present is to transcend the limitations of time and to experience life in its fullest expression. We must not allow ourselves to be consumed by the ticking of the clock but must instead engage with the richness of the present, the only time that truly exists.

Let us, therefore, take practical action in our own lives. Let us cultivate mindfulness in our daily actions, learning to focus on what is before us rather than what lies behind or ahead. By practicing stillness and embracing the moment, we release ourselves from the tyranny of time. Whether through meditation, contemplation, or simply being present with those we love, we can step out of the illusion of time and step into the fullness of life. For in the present, we find the freedom to truly live.