Meditation and the Inner, Spiritual Dimensions of Time and Learning

• In Event: A Holistic, Multidimensional Perception of Time: Connecting Our Inner and Outer World, and Connecting Education to the Earth and the Universe

Abstract

Author HK will discuss the notion and experience of time from the experiences of spiritual teachers. She draws from wisdom in Sikhism and practices in Daoist traditions. Author DM will relate the discussion of time, inner cultivation and nature energy in Islam, Christianity and Jewish traditions. The inner dimension of time is explored and spiritual time in education is emphasized by both authors.
We will critique that industrial thinking treats time as linear, and we ignore seasonal changes and many factors that tell us that time is not linear, rather, time is cyclical, relational, and in meditation, people even feel time slows down or disappears, or reverses backward, so time is even a spiritual construct. We contemplate: The physical constructs of space and time usually go hand in hand, and the unceasing chatter of mind-with all its voluntary and/or involuntary thoughts happens in this framework of time only. When we learn to transcend time through meditation, we learn to overcome the limitation of our mind. Those who have reached such an elevated state of mind through disciplined practice know what pure bliss that is. We never talk about, let alone teach in our classrooms, such wise, contemplative issues central to our existence that can transform the face of this world. We need to include existential intelligence in our educational philosophy and pedagogical approaches. That will enable young learners to see various dimensions of time, including the spiritual one.
We must introduce a sense of stillness and silence in our pedagogies for a meaningful educational experience for our learners. Wang (2023) comments, “The inner sense of emptiness is the state of quietude that can settle the external turbulence, through which stillness can dance, and silence can speak” (p.15). According to Wang (2023), this quietude will allow students to connect with the unknown within themselves and lay a foundation for relating to the unknown in the world. Wang believe that this will expand the transformative and transcendental potential of the learner. This transformation of personhood leads to a change in society.

Authors

• Harpreet Kaur, University of Maryland

• Denise L. McHugh, University of Maryland