Dr. Ethan Kross

Thinking about the good things that could happen, the potentialities, or going into the past and savoring some of the positive things that happen. I'm thinking about the soccer game where my kids scored goals or something good happened to someone I know or to me. And And that to me is a wonderful way of going to bed. That is mental time travel.

It is not being in the moment, which actually raises another really important point that I wanna get in there. And I'd love to get your take on this because in popular culture, we often hear that It's really important to be in the moment. This has emerged as a type of cultural maxim, like be in the now.

It is not being in the moment, which actually raises another really important point that I wanna get in there. And I'd love to get your take on this because in popular culture, we often hear that It's really important to be in the moment. This has emerged as a type of cultural maxim, like be in the now.

It is not being in the moment, which actually raises another really important point that I wanna get in there. And I'd love to get your take on this because in popular culture, we often hear that It's really important to be in the moment. This has emerged as a type of cultural maxim, like be in the now.

And this idea is often conveyed so strongly that if you're not in the moment, we sometimes think there's something wrong with us. Like, oh, we've got to train our attention to bring it back to the present. Being in the present can be very useful in many contexts.

And this idea is often conveyed so strongly that if you're not in the moment, we sometimes think there's something wrong with us. Like, oh, we've got to train our attention to bring it back to the present. Being in the present can be very useful in many contexts.

And this idea is often conveyed so strongly that if you're not in the moment, we sometimes think there's something wrong with us. Like, oh, we've got to train our attention to bring it back to the present. Being in the present can be very useful in many contexts.

And certainly when we experience chatter, we start worrying about the future or ruminating about the past, refocusing on the present, our breath, a mantra. Yes, lots of data support the utility of that. But I always like to remind people that the human mind evolved to be able to travel in time. And lots of amazing things accompany that process. If I can't go into the past...

And certainly when we experience chatter, we start worrying about the future or ruminating about the past, refocusing on the present, our breath, a mantra. Yes, lots of data support the utility of that. But I always like to remind people that the human mind evolved to be able to travel in time. And lots of amazing things accompany that process. If I can't go into the past...

And certainly when we experience chatter, we start worrying about the future or ruminating about the past, refocusing on the present, our breath, a mantra. Yes, lots of data support the utility of that. But I always like to remind people that the human mind evolved to be able to travel in time. And lots of amazing things accompany that process. If I can't go into the past...

Not only am I not savoring positive experiences which add joy and vitality to my life, I'm also not learning from my screw-ups, which sadly happened to me on a somewhat regular basis. I'm learning from my mistakes by revisiting the past. And if I'm not going into the future, then I'm not planning. I'm not simulating. I'm not fantasizing. So... We don't want to shut down mental time travel.

Not only am I not savoring positive experiences which add joy and vitality to my life, I'm also not learning from my screw-ups, which sadly happened to me on a somewhat regular basis. I'm learning from my mistakes by revisiting the past. And if I'm not going into the future, then I'm not planning. I'm not simulating. I'm not fantasizing. So... We don't want to shut down mental time travel.

Not only am I not savoring positive experiences which add joy and vitality to my life, I'm also not learning from my screw-ups, which sadly happened to me on a somewhat regular basis. I'm learning from my mistakes by revisiting the past. And if I'm not going into the future, then I'm not planning. I'm not simulating. I'm not fantasizing. So... We don't want to shut down mental time travel.

I think what we want to learn how to do is how to travel in time in our minds more effectively without that time travel machine breaking down in the past, which is what happens when we get stuck on an experience or in the future when we just find ourselves fixating on something that we're anxious about.

I think what we want to learn how to do is how to travel in time in our minds more effectively without that time travel machine breaking down in the past, which is what happens when we get stuck on an experience or in the future when we just find ourselves fixating on something that we're anxious about.

I think what we want to learn how to do is how to travel in time in our minds more effectively without that time travel machine breaking down in the past, which is what happens when we get stuck on an experience or in the future when we just find ourselves fixating on something that we're anxious about.

So being in the moment can be good, but it is not the end point I think we always want to strive for.

So being in the moment can be good, but it is not the end point I think we always want to strive for.

So being in the moment can be good, but it is not the end point I think we always want to strive for.

Well, it often isn't, but it can be harnessed. And here's the way I think about texting and really how social media and the opportunities it gives us to communicate with others whenever we want, how this has thrown a curveball into the way we manage our own emotions and sometimes inadvertently affect the emotions of not just other people, but groups of people, and societies.