HOW DO YOU GROUND PEOPLE IN “THE NOW” DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC? PUT AN HOUR ON THE CLOCK AND INTRODUCE SOME SURPRISINGLY POWERFUL LINGUISTIC CONSTRAINTS.

PROJECT

The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic were uncertain times. Suddenly confined to my four walls, I wondered how I could contribute to the moment. With so much collective anxiety about what was coming next, I realized that my best offering would be to help people stay as grounded in the present moment as possible.

Pulling inspiration from Robert Anton Wilson’s thinking around E-Prime, and my involvement in the SF T-Group Community, I created The Present Moment Game, an online social meditation experience.

Unlike T-Group, the game was not intended for learning how to give or receive feedback, how to level up communication skills, or for any other explicit aim. Its purpose was simply to create an opportunity for people to really BE with one another - especially in days as harrowing as those initial months of lockdown.

So, how does The Present Moment Game work? Its rules are simple, but strict: We neither speak about the past, nor refer to the future - that’s it!

The only other ‘rule’ is to hold each other accountable to stay 100% present for the duration of the game, as well. To do this, we imagine the past and the future like the two gutters of a bowling lane, both filled with kiddie bumpers. And just as the bowling ball will knock against a bumper to come back into the center of the lane, so, too, do we gently correct those we play with when someone strays away into the past, or veers into the future. When they do, we invite them back to the present by offering just one little word: Bump.

Saying ‘Bump’ notifies them that they’ve bumped up against what-has-been or what’s-to-come, stops them from continuing on, and invites them back into the here and now.  

Deceptively simple, but often surprisingly profound, the game can express itself in many different ways. It can feel light-hearted or serious, self-reflective or social, easy or unexpectedly hard - and, chances are, it’ll feel like all these things, even within a single session. Each individual game is as unique as its participants, and has something of value to offer those who are both present, and patient enough for it to emerge.

RESULTS

During the lockdown, I hosted online games multiple times a week, for months. I charged a humble fee to participate, and donated all proceeds to The Red Cross. As the world started opening up again, I stopped hosting online games, but still love nothing more than playing the game with friends IRL.

If you’re curious about playing The Present Moment Game yourself, I put together a primer on all you need to know to host a session, both online & in-person. If you do decide to play, I’d love to hear how it went!