r/Mindfulness • u/anxiousjeff • 2d ago
Question difficulty recalling being present?
I have trouble recalling the experience of being present sometimes. In the moment, being present feels rich: I'm attentive to my surroundings and whatever's happening in my mind without getting "caught up" in them, and my sensory experience feels vibrant.
Afterwards, though, I have difficulty recalling the details of that experience. It seems easier to recall experiences where I'm ruminating, obsessing, distracted, etc.
Anyone else experience this?
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u/Zestyclose_Mode_2642 1d ago
That's how it works: your memory of mindfulness is not the same as the state of heightened awareness itself
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u/cotoapp25 1d ago
That is actually very normal to feel, as presence may feel very vivid while you are in it but it does not necessary always leace a strong memory trace- the way stress or rumination does. The mind tends to hold onto problems more tightly than peace as it’s part of how we’re wired for survival.
It doesn’t mean your mindfulness isn’t working. In fact, the richness you feel in the moment is the whole point, not how well you remember it later. Some people keep a short journal after practice, just a line or two about what they noticed, so the memory has somewhere to land. The fact that you notice this difference already shows your practice is alive. Presence isn’t about holding onto it afterwards as it’s about touching it while it’s here.
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u/Jessibrowny 1d ago
Struggling to remember doesn’t mean the experience lacked value it often means you were so present that memory didn’t cling to it.
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u/bphelan111 2d ago
Yes, mindfulness is difficult to remember because by definition it requires your full attention. A better choice is not so much to remember mindfulness, but to be present once again RIGHT NOW -- this moment is just as rich as any past moment, any they are all gone anyway!