I wrote a song along time ago called “Moments peak” which was about how every life in our moment comes to a peak. For example when you listen to a song you havnt heard in awhile, and you hear it again, and it takes you back to that time. Even now I know that in a year or so from now Ill look back on this time in my life, and love it, but it dosnt feel that way now, because Im in it. So I was thinking what if you could feel that all the time. Smell is the strongest sent tied to our memorys. What if you went in a seasonal cycle of three months pick 5, or so songs, and listen to them for three months while burning one type of incence when you listen to it. Then 3 months latter pick a diffrent 5 or so songs, but dont listen to the 5 songs you listned to in the previous 3 months, and do it by the seasons, because the seasons are allso a good way to tie into your emotions. Fall has a great atmospher to it. So with the sence of smell, songs, and seasons rotating into a 3 month cycle by the year. You should be able to capture the esance of life a little easier, and with it allways changing it will stay fresh. Our entrest are allso changing so if you have certain hobys you do do them at the same time your listing to the songs, and burning the incence. Like a year from now Ill listen again to the songs I chose for this past summer, and wala I should be able to feel how my life came to a emotional peak. Its all about stimulating your sences in a strong way, and remaining in that state all your life.
I think that could be the solution for feeling the real beauty of life that we are allways in, but never realize it, feel it, or apriciate it until we look back on it. Ive allways tried to feel the moment peaking at the moment, but never could capture it. All of life is beautyfull. Like how awsome would it feel to not be LDing for a year, and go back, and read your DJ, and remmber how great it was. The magic, and mystery while listning to songs, and burning incence you were burning at the time. It may even stimulate your dreaming mind. (Im not suggesting you do that allways lucid dream this is just an example)
You could allso use a blacklight for one of those 3 months for the sence of sight, and allso candle light.
This reminds me of an experiment made by Hervey de St Denys. He associated a scent with a place, so that months later, when smelling the same scent, he would dream of that place.
Why keeping so tied to the past? If the moment was good, you should have enjoyed it back then; now is entirely another moment, and it’s as full of opportunities and surprises and beauties as it was the ones before. So why don’t you just go now and enjoy them?
I agree with tosxyChor on this. “There is no time like the present” they say, and whoever “they” are, they are right! Remembering the past like that usually brings nostalgia, which takes away from your present.
On a side-note, last summer I used to have sketching lessons every week and before leaving home I would wear a certain aroma. One year has passed and still every time I smell that aroma I am reminded of that time! It is very strange, it seems as if the memory tied to that smell will never go away!
I’m not sure I agree fully with tosxy and Queen SD.
Certainly, the present is important. The most important, one could say. But still, it’s important that we prepare for our own future no matter what kind of life we lead. In the same vein, the past can be a VERY powerful force, especially once emotions are tied to it.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to create situations to what Kava described, though. That’s because of a romanticized idea of mine that I like those moment’s peaks to be just that, peaks. Once everything becomes a peak, then there are no more peaks. It’s all relative. And I’m not so sure that every one of those peaks would feel as special as the few I have now.
Nostalgia, to me, is a very important feeling in my personal life. The moments I create now, will be my nostalgia of the future.
However much I enjoy something now, chances are I’ll enjoy it more thinking back in a year’s time (or more). It’s just how I roll.