If your memories vanished and your future plans dissolved, who would you be, right now?
Most of us define ourselves by what we’ve done or what we hope to do: the job title, the achievements, the regrets, the goals. But those are all stories tied to time. The past weighs us down with memory, the future pulls us into worry or anticipation. Strip both away, and something remarkable happens. What remains is not emptiness, but presence, the living truth of who you are in this very moment.
“Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world.” – Ramana Maharshi
This article explores that shift and offers a simple guided exercise you can use anytime to return to your true self.
The Question: Who Am I Without Past or Future?
The question “Who am I if I don’t have a past or a future?” slices through the layers of identity we carry.
Think about it:
- The past is a mental scrapbook of moments, lessons, and wounds that tell us who we were.
- The future is an imagined canvas of fears and dreams, full of what we might become.
Both are constructs of thought. Our past is a collection of stories, moments of joy, pain, or lessons that shape how we see ourselves. The future is a canvas of hopes, fears, and plans. Both are constructs of the mind, pulling us away from the now. When we let them fall away, we glimpse a deeper reality: presence. Here, you are not your memories or your ambitions. You are simply aware, alive, and free.
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life.” – Eckhart Tolle
To grasp this, you must step out of the mind’s tendency to label, analyze, or project. Instead, you allow yourself to be. This isn’t an idea to debate or analyze, it’s something to feel directly. The true self exists only here, in the freshness of now.
The Trap of Words and Time
The mind will always try to answer “Who am I?” with labels, a name, a role, a story. But the moment we define, we step back into time. Words are tied to time. They pull you into the past, recalling who you were, or into the future, imagining who you might become.
The true self is not a definition. It’s the quiet space beneath thought, the awareness that remains when we stop labeling. This is why no one can give you the answer in words. It must be experienced in silence, in the pause between thoughts.
It’s not a puzzle to solve but a state to experience. The moment you feel it, you understand. But to reach this understanding, you must let go of the need to name or categorize. You must immerse yourself in the now.
A Guided Exercise to Experience Presence
Here’s a simple practice you can try. It can take 10–15 minutes, but even two minutes is enough to begin.
Step 1: Settle In
Find a quiet space. Sit comfortably. Close your eyes if it feels natural. Take a few deep breaths, noticing the weight of your body, the sensation of breath moving in and out.
Step 2: Release Past and Future
Ask yourself: “Who am I without my past or future?”
Imagine memories, regrets, plans, and expectations dissolving like mist. If they reappear, simply notice and let them pass.
Step 3: Feel the Now
Bring your attention to what is happening right here: your breath, the heartbeat, the sounds around you. Don’t label them, just notice the raw experience of being alive.
Step 4: Observe Without Naming
The mind may try to analyze. That’s okay. Gently ask: “What is this moment without my thoughts about it?” Then return to the direct experience of presence.
Step 5: Rest and Return
Stay with this awareness as long as feels comfortable. When ready, take a deep breath and open your eyes, carrying that sense of presence into the rest of your day.
Quick Version: Pause for three breaths before checking your phone, eating, or walking into a room. Notice “I am here, now.” That’s it.
Reflections on the Experience
This exercise is not about achieving a goal or finding a definitive answer. It’s about discovering what it feels like to exist without the filters of time. Some people feel peace, clarity, or expansiveness. Others feel nothing at all. Both are fine.
Presence is not about dramatic experiences, it’s about gently shifting from mental stories to direct awareness.
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – The Buddha
If you find your mind wandering back to thoughts or labels during the exercise, that’s okay. Each time your mind drifts and you return, you strengthen your capacity to live from this deeper place. It’s like building a muscle of awareness.
Living in Presence
Asking “Who am I without past or future?” is not a puzzle to solve but a doorway to living differently. You’ll still use memory and planning for practical things, but they no longer define you.
Your true self is always here, in the living moment. With practice, presence stops being an “exercise” and begins to feel like home. Life becomes clearer, fresher, more alive.
Try this daily, even briefly. Journal your experience for a week. Notice the small but powerful ways your perception shifts.
When you return to presence again and again, you aren’t becoming someone new, you’re remembering who you already are.