Sacred Time, Chapters 1 & 2

In reading the first two chapters of Sacred Time and the Search for Meaning, it is clear that Gary Eberle wants to establish early on his book that our current view of time is preposterous. He calls this view "the modern mentality" and adds that it "started emergin between the 1600 and 1700." The main idea throughout both chapters is that time, which we originally just wanted to be able to tell, now consumes us and it is supported by the way we interact with clocks. For example, we constantly check our watches while stuck in traffic on the way to work; we complain as our computers take a few extra seconds to download a file. Eberle proposes that there are two ways which time passes: vertical and horizontal. The horizontal is the typical way we imagine time passing, with the past behind us, the future ahead of us, ourselves in the present, and a constant/consistent motion forward. This concept of time is what makes our lives frantic, with an never ending desire to accomplish more in the available time (this is achieved through portable electronic devices, fast food meals, and multitasking. The second way of imagining time is vertically, and this concept of time will tie in with what a good life is.

This reading contributes to the big picture about the good life and human flourishing in two ways. First, it identifies the wrong way of looking and dealing with time. Second, it offers an alternative that is much more fulfilling and will undoubtedly lead to the good life and flourishing. This alternative is to make an effort to experience time vertically and to value your sacred time. Vertical time is experienced in "moments of rapture, deep meditation, dream states, or intense celebration" and it allows us to prosper by removing us from the unstoppable/fast paced horizontal time. Sacred time is a similar concept; it implies having an independent personal life where one is free to explore our own beings and enjoy freedom.

My emotional reaction to this reading was positive. It immediately made me question my fast forward lifestyle filled with gadgets and gizmos that prevent any alone time. The pressure of horizontal time is something that I am constantly feeling, and it is something I would like to try and alleviate. My intellectual reaction was a little more skeptical. Although everything said in these first two chapters, and all of the examples cited, seems to be very accurate, I am unsure of whether Eberle will provide a valid way of overcoming "this permanent state of jet lag" without totally having remove oneself from conventional society.

The author is expressing an opinion in these first two chapters, and that opinion is that being consumed by the passing of time is not a fulfilling lifestyle. He expresses emotion very effectively. The assertions he is making are obviously his own, but he gives them strong support with real life examples. One of the most convincing instance was with the invention of the telephone, where Watson's life was being disrupted right from the very first phonecall. The framework Eberle uses to convey this message is a series of anecdotes. He is simply stating opinions, with historical and contemporary support interspersed throughout.

In the first two chapters of Eberle's book, it seems like right brain is emphasized, which is in line with our course objective to explore the right brain. When he talks about sacred or soul time, the activities brought up to promote this are "dreams, memories, and daydreams" because in these, time does not exist at all. This coincides with the random and holistic nature of the right brain.

Thus far in Sacred Time, Eberle wants us to believe that the traditional lifestyle of non-stop work, multitasking, high velocity, and constant catch-up is unhealthy. He feels as if we have become slaves to time and that this trend must be broken. His message deals a lot with the fact that the technology that was supposed to maximize our free time has instead invaded our lives. Cell phones, pagers, and email are a constant intruder and burden. The evidence he provides goes back and forth between emotional appeal and current/historical fact. This combination makes his evidence seem both powerful and credible, and it is clear that all the evidence we need is in the world directly around us.

Another viewpoint on this topic might be that the hectic lifestyles we lead are a good thing. On one hand, it has turned us into an extremely productive society. We produce goods and provide services at very fast pace. The evidence for this assertion would be in the numbers. One could compare the contributions of an employee who works religiously to one who values his personal time, and the results would undoubtedly show that the workaholic was far more productive. At what cost though?

Buying into either viewpoint definitely has ramifications. If one buys into Eberle, it means they refute the modern lifestyle that is mainstream across the globe. You would undoubtedly be marginalized by society if you gave up on productivity, multitasking, and constant communication to focus more on your sacred time. On the other hand, the opposite viewpoint implies "constant jet lag". There is never a time to catch up. There is never an opportunity to experience time vertically. There is only constant push forward and a constant desire to cram more into the same amount of time.

Questions: Twice in the first two chapters Eberle has stated we can "overcome this permanent state of jet lag," but both times he says we need to know more about something else first. When and how is going to reveal how to achieve this?

As a motivated college student, is there a way to combine the high productivity lifestyle I will need to succeed in the professional world and the healthy lifestyle of letting time pass vertically?

What steps could I take to let technology not consume me, or to let technology maximize my leisure time like it was once promised to do?