Author: Geoffrey Geddes

Perception follows experience; they are neither equivalent nor simultaneous. The time between experience and perception might be less than a hummingbird’s wing flap. Yet, without that period of reflection, no perception, and therefore no consciousness, is possible.

Blooming, late or otherwise, requires a certain degree of mindfulness. Most people understand mindfulness to mean paying attention to the present moment. But what does that really mean? Moments have no duration. As soon as you target one with your attention it’s already gone.

Once upon a time, there was … me. Each of us creates an identity – a “self” – by mentally composing a life story based on memories, perceptions, and an imagined future. Sadly, our memories are incomplete and inaccurate, our perceptions are filtered through sensory limitations and caustic social conditioning, and our imagination is, by definition, unreal.

Fortunately for Late Bloomers, the practice of meditation has been sufficiently separated from its spiritual and religious origins to have become one of the most valuable and accessible wellness tools. Let’s investigate.

No doubt the year 2020 will occupy many chapters in future history texts, boring students with stories of hardship, suffering, and upheaval. Is there a way to find contentment and joy amidst this mayhem?