My imagination can make an anticipated future experience appear as if it is happening right now. And so I respond to it. I react in delight, anxiety, fear, etc. It seems so real, as if I am in one of my vivid dreams.
My imagination can as effectively bring up memories of a past event, modify parts of it, make it appear real. And so I respond, and my reaction is part of my now.
Which illusion do I choose to live in, the past, future or now? It seems I can only effectively respond to what is happening right now. My now can have a lot less imagination involved, and is the only true reality. The imagined future does not yet exist, the imagined past does not exist. Only the now.
Is it really better to live in my now than my imagined future or past? It seems I want most of the time to get beyond what my imagination says. It is a different experience which I can truly be part of.
Sometimes I escape from my now by entering someone else’s imagination by watching a movie or reading a story. While that helps me see my now in different ways, I am still trying to live in someone else’s dream world.