Posted inHenry's Messages

Message from Henry: Daydreaming

May 5, 2015

The insight was stunning. I began to realize what daydreaming had done for me — and to me….”

3685379062_e70500536a_o

This week, here is a short piece by the writer Vivian Gornick about her own discovery of the constant audio-visual broadcasts that had been going on in her head for as long as she could remember…. and what it was like to have them shut down for a while: the unimaginable space, peace, energy and joy that that opened up for her, once she was able to “occupy the present.” Please enjoy.

With love and thanks,
Henry

….It was then that the really strange and interesting thing happened. A vast emptiness began to open up behind my eyes as I went about my daily business. The daydreaming, it seemed, had occupied more space than I’d ever imagined. It was as though a majority of my waking time had routinely been taken up with fantasizing, only a narrow portion of consciousness concentrated on the here and now. Of this I was convinced, because of the number of times a day the bitter taste threatened to take up residence in my mouth.

The insight was stunning. I began to realize what daydreaming had done for me — and to me….”

Excerpt from: The Cost of Daydreaming, by Vivian Gornick, published in The New York Times, Sunday Review, April 24, 2015. To read the entire article, click:  http://nyti.ms/1DszX5D

Vivian’s essay is from her forthcoming memoir “The Odd Woman and the City.”

Image Credit: Chaos Inside, by Hartwig HKD, CC BY-ND 2.0.
Featured Image Credit: Between Red and White, by Hartwig HKD, CC BY-ND 2.0.

footer support banner image

Support Mountain Cloud

You can show your gratitude for Mountain Cloud events, retreats, podcasts and other teachings by making a one-time gift, or by becoming a supporting member.

Donate to Mountain Cloud Become a Member