
Why the Now Isn't the Present Moment with Physicist Piet Hut
04/05/23 • 56 min
"Time is the greatest concept of all, hiding the dynamic, open nature of experience under the garments of the concepts past, present, and future," wrote Princeton astrophysics professor Piet Hut.
Where do quantum physics and the great wisdom traditions meet? Here in the Now. The "Now" in Tibetan Buddhism is translated as "The timeless awareness that includes the three relative times of past, present and future." But the Now is not the present moment. We can not live in the present moment as moments are here and gone like the tick-tock of a clock, here-gone-here-gone. However, we can learn to shift into the eternal Now, which is always here as a ground that is both infinite and intimate.
Being here and now provides a doorway to an awake, open-hearted awareness that can be accessed experientially at any time. It is a field of compassion and well-being from which you can respond rather than react and experience flow states.
In this conversation, author, psychotherapist, and meditation teacher Loch Kelly and Princeton Professor and Astrophysicist Piet Hut explore everything from quantum mechanics, the theory of relativity, nonduality, the nature of reality, and consciousness.
At the end of the discussion, Loch provides a glimpse meditation to help you experientially shift your awareness into the timeless, boundless Now.
"Time is the greatest concept of all, hiding the dynamic, open nature of experience under the garments of the concepts past, present, and future," wrote Princeton astrophysics professor Piet Hut.
Where do quantum physics and the great wisdom traditions meet? Here in the Now. The "Now" in Tibetan Buddhism is translated as "The timeless awareness that includes the three relative times of past, present and future." But the Now is not the present moment. We can not live in the present moment as moments are here and gone like the tick-tock of a clock, here-gone-here-gone. However, we can learn to shift into the eternal Now, which is always here as a ground that is both infinite and intimate.
Being here and now provides a doorway to an awake, open-hearted awareness that can be accessed experientially at any time. It is a field of compassion and well-being from which you can respond rather than react and experience flow states.
In this conversation, author, psychotherapist, and meditation teacher Loch Kelly and Princeton Professor and Astrophysicist Piet Hut explore everything from quantum mechanics, the theory of relativity, nonduality, the nature of r
You can now explore all of Loch Kelly's practices and teachings on the new Mindful Glimpses app, found at https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpses. This innovative meditation and wellness app offers daily micro-meditations, step-by-step programs, and simple-yet-advanced tools for awakening.Loch Kelly Bio
Loch is the creator of the Mindful Glimpses app, and an award-winning author, psychotherapist, and non-dual meditation teacher. He is also known for his unique practical methods that support awakening as the next natural stage of human development. Backed by modern neuroscience and psychology, Loch introduces Effortless Mindfulness, which combines an ancient form of nondual meditation and IFS psychology that allows immediate access to our embodied awake nature which arises as our calm, clear, and compassionate healing capacity.
Connect with Loch:
Mobile App: https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpsesWebsite: https://lochkelly.org/Donate: https://lochkelly.org/donatePodcast: https://lochkelly.org/podcast
"Time is the greatest concept of all, hiding the dynamic, open nature of experience under the garments of the concepts past, present, and future," wrote Princeton astrophysics professor Piet Hut.
Where do quantum physics and the great wisdom traditions meet? Here in the Now. The "Now" in Tibetan Buddhism is translated as "The timeless awareness that includes the three relative times of past, present and future." But the Now is not the present moment. We can not live in the present moment as moments are here and gone like the tick-tock of a clock, here-gone-here-gone. However, we can learn to shift into the eternal Now, which is always here as a ground that is both infinite and intimate.
Being here and now provides a doorway to an awake, open-hearted awareness that can be accessed experientially at any time. It is a field of compassion and well-being from which you can respond rather than react and experience flow states.
In this conversation, author, psychotherapist, and meditation teacher Loch Kelly and Princeton Professor and Astrophysicist Piet Hut explore everything from quantum mechanics, the theory of relativity, nonduality, the nature of reality, and consciousness.
At the end of the discussion, Loch provides a glimpse meditation to help you experientially shift your awareness into the timeless, boundless Now.
"Time is the greatest concept of all, hiding the dynamic, open nature of experience under the garments of the concepts past, present, and future," wrote Princeton astrophysics professor Piet Hut.
Where do quantum physics and the great wisdom traditions meet? Here in the Now. The "Now" in Tibetan Buddhism is translated as "The timeless awareness that includes the three relative times of past, present and future." But the Now is not the present moment. We can not live in the present moment as moments are here and gone like the tick-tock of a clock, here-gone-here-gone. However, we can learn to shift into the eternal Now, which is always here as a ground that is both infinite and intimate.
Being here and now provides a doorway to an awake, open-hearted awareness that can be accessed experientially at any time. It is a field of compassion and well-being from which you can respond rather than react and experience flow states.
In this conversation, author, psychotherapist, and meditation teacher Loch Kelly and Princeton Professor and Astrophysicist Piet Hut explore everything from quantum mechanics, the theory of relativity, nonduality, the nature of r
You can now explore all of Loch Kelly's practices and teachings on the new Mindful Glimpses app, found at https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpses. This innovative meditation and wellness app offers daily micro-meditations, step-by-step programs, and simple-yet-advanced tools for awakening.Loch Kelly Bio
Loch is the creator of the Mindful Glimpses app, and an award-winning author, psychotherapist, and non-dual meditation teacher. He is also known for his unique practical methods that support awakening as the next natural stage of human development. Backed by modern neuroscience and psychology, Loch introduces Effortless Mindfulness, which combines an ancient form of nondual meditation and IFS psychology that allows immediate access to our embodied awake nature which arises as our calm, clear, and compassionate healing capacity.
Connect with Loch:
Mobile App: https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpsesWebsite: https://lochkelly.org/Donate: https://lochkelly.org/donatePodcast: https://lochkelly.org/podcast
Previous Episode

Standard Mindfulness and Effortless Mindfulness - What's the Difference?
What’s here now if the peace you’re seeking is already here? In this episode, Loch examines the differences between standard mindfulness and the nondual direct way of Effortless Mindfulness, where we are mindful from another level of Mind. Hear about the stages of awakening: from direct recognition to realization to familiarization to expression. Learn to immediately access our inherent awareness-based knowing that unfolds into an embodied life of wisdom and compassion.
For more info about Loch, visit: https://lochkelly.org/
For additional information about this podcast, visit: https://podcast.effortlessmindfulness.com/
For the Loch Kelly App, visit: https://effortlessmindfulness.com and to donate, visit:
https://lochkelly.org/donate.
You can now explore all of Loch Kelly's practices and teachings on the new Mindful Glimpses app, found at https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpses. This innovative meditation and wellness app offers daily micro-meditations, step-by-step programs, and simple-yet-advanced tools for awakening.Loch Kelly Bio
Loch is the creator of the Mindful Glimpses app, and an award-winning author, psychotherapist, and non-dual meditation teacher. He is also known for his unique practical methods that support awakening as the next natural stage of human development. Backed by modern neuroscience and psychology, Loch introduces Effortless Mindfulness, which combines an ancient form of nondual meditation and IFS psychology that allows immediate access to our embodied awake nature which arises as our calm, clear, and compassionate healing capacity.
Connect with Loch:
Mobile App: https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpsesWebsite: https://lochkelly.org/Donate: https://lochkelly.org/donatePodcast: https://lochkelly.org/podcast
Next Episode

A Mindful Glimpse for Awakening
This episode features a short "glimpse” or micro-meditation that helps us shift out of our chattering mind and into our already awake consciousness. This mindful glimpse brings us back to our senses and then continues to introduce us to the most important discovery for freedom: awake awareness. By experiencing awake awareness around us and the aliveness within us as interconnected, we discover we are no longer self-centered. Rather, we are interdependent with the Infinite, clear and loving consciousness that is always available within us and as us. From this new view and supportive ground we can be with everything that arises and experience a deep sense of embodiment, wisdom, flow and compassionate activity.
For more info about Loch, visit: https://lochkelly.org/
For additional information about this podcast, visit: https://podcast.effortlessmindfulness.com/
For the Loch Kelly App, visit: https://effortlessmindfulness.com and to donate, visit:
https://lochkelly.org/donate.
You can now explore all of Loch Kelly's practices and teachings on the new Mindful Glimpses app, found at https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpses. This innovative meditation and wellness app offers daily micro-meditations, step-by-step programs, and simple-yet-advanced tools for awakening.Loch Kelly Bio
Loch is the creator of the Mindful Glimpses app, and an award-winning author, psychotherapist, and non-dual meditation teacher. He is also known for his unique practical methods that support awakening as the next natural stage of human development. Backed by modern neuroscience and psychology, Loch introduces Effortless Mindfulness, which combines an ancient form of nondual meditation and IFS psychology that allows immediate access to our embodied awake nature which arises as our calm, clear, and compassionate healing capacity.
Connect with Loch:
Mobile App: https://lochkelly.org/mindful-glimpsesWebsite: https://lochkelly.org/Donate: https://lochkelly.org/donatePodcast: https://lochkelly.org/podcast
Effortless Mindfulness with Loch Kelly - Why the Now Isn't the Present Moment with Physicist Piet Hut
Transcript
Piet: The wonderful thing about science is that it is completely shared by anyone on the planet, and anybody can do an experiment and check. The wonderful thing about contemplation is that in a way, it is more deep and more encompassing everything. But we have not even begun to get the cultural sharing and integration.
I think that will take a few hundred years.
Loch: Yeah.
Piet: In many ways, Buddhism may very well be closest to science in being more abstract- minded and the
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