In our Summer 2021 issue, we asked six readers to describe a moment in their lives, during which they seemed to transcend time and space, and glimpse eternity. We loved reading their beautiful answers. Enjoy this summer’s Spirituality in the City below.
Spirituality in the City
Gloria Garcia
One moment of transcendence that comes to mind is the birth of my daughter when I was twenty years old. In that moment, after the child had been safely delivered and placed in my arms, time stood still. All worries dissipated. I became acutely aware of God’s presence, the cycle of life, and my place in the universe. A sense that all was as it should be filled my heart. As I basked in the glow of playing such an important role in the miracle of life, an immense wave of love for my daughter swept over me. Although I knew my life would be changing drastically in the years to come, I was no longer afraid or concerned. My connection to this new being and my love for her would withstand all.
Donogh O’Loughlin
I’m grateful to travel this beautiful country and meet the most interesting people. I work on Sherkin Island sometimes, and the most common question I’m asked there is ‘what day is it?’ It always fills my heart and makes me smile. I love science and nature, as they help us to understand the physical world.
I’ve surfed barrelling waves in deserted bays where time stood still, I’ve sat on shores and stared at fossils: trapped in rocks, yet free to move. When my first child was born, the universe stopped in that moment. When my dad was in a stroke-induced coma just before he died, I placed my forehead to his and said, ‘I am you and you are me. We are one.’ That changed my perception of time and space deeply.
Later, at a Spoken Word meeting, Mags Creedon asked me whether she could she use that line in a song. Yes. Now it flies again.
Veronika Sardiko
Dance – my passion and profession – allows me to experience transcendence. Inconceivable moments happen during my performances. Before going onstage, when I’m waiting to step out from the curtain, I can hear my heartbeat – it’s so strong; my legs are heavy; time drags. As soon as I step onto the stage, I no longer have a sense of time. A one-hour show feels like five minutes. The boost of adrenaline makes me feel like I’m flying.
During a tour to Portugal, I felt upset when I saw that the stage for our performance was so small, I would have to cut some steps and jumps from my solo. In rehearsals, I practised the combinations without a few elements. When I watched the video of the performance, however, I couldn’t believe my eyes. During the show, I had managed to perform all the original steps within the restricted stage space. The dance looked perfect. Magic.
Dance is meditation for me. I forget about my problems, just enjoying myself and the process.
Tommy Ellis
A lot of my inner world is immersed in the idea and application of transcendence. As such, I meditate. Not sometimes, but every day. I calm and soothe my autonomic nervous system every single day with meditation. As I bathe energetically in our collective chemistry of oxytocin, the drama falls away. A couple of weeks ago, it fell away a lot. I could see a vent on the ceiling. I could see a door in front of me. I could see a light fitting, but up close. I had my eyes closed and I was out of my body. I was on the ceiling in the corridor. I was having an out-of-body experience. I am not a body, and neither are you. It’s not true that I can ‘transcend’ time and space. The truth is, I am not in time and space. Neither are you. So, what does this mean? It means you’re a superhero.
Geraldine Walsh
Having taken a good big mug of sacred ‘San Pedro’ on the ascent to Pachatata (Father-earth) on the island of Amantani – also called the island of love – on Lake Titicaca, I became one with nature, the plants, the moon. I spoke and played with them. They enticed me beyond time and space. Such fun!
I did this again at my local Lough Gur – I sat alone in that beautiful stone circle, attuned to my inner self and surroundings. I entered the sacred waters of the lake, entering a space of timelessness and joy. No drugs this time – just pure bliss and oneness with the water, the lake and nature. After that, I met a real-life fairy who guided me to Cnoc Áine, for a magical adventure on the hill.
Blessings to the power of nature, the depth and beauty of our sacred land and its magical ability to soothe us. Find your sacred place, do ceremony and be transported beyond time and space.
Thomas O’Sullivan
One of the greatest experiences I have had with transcending time and space was during a rebirthing breathwork session, when I was so deeply immersed in the breath that I had moved completely away from time and space. There was nothing or no one, no sense of time, no sense of anything … and there, in a timeless darkness before me, appeared my deceased son in a water-like screen image. He was smiling in absolute perfection: his form angelic form, without blemish, in high definition. He spoke to me and he brought great peace to my soul by telling me that everything is as it should be. He also spoke to me about my future. When I arrived back into my weeping body, I felt that wherever this meeting point was, I had transcended time and space to get there.
instagram.com/thomas.o.sullivan
