The Flutterby Effect

Y'all ever seen the movie Butterfly Effect? This exercise is sort of like that except that you get to be Ashton Kutcher!

First, let us consider the nature of the thing we call "Time".

Time is not linear nor is it, in the words of Rustin Cohle, a flat circle. If anything, it’s a dot. It simply IS. There is a current scientific hypothesis which postulates that all Time is actually occuring right now. Every moment that has ever occurred or ever will, including all variations (or “timelines”), is happening simultaneously.

This makes some sense, really. "There is no Time like the present". "It's a matter of Time". And so forth.

The thing we commonly think of when we refer to “Time” is really just a unit of measurement based on the rotation of the Earth and its revolutions around the sun. This measurement is unique to our planet and its specific gravity, mass and so forth. Go to another planet, and the days are different lengths. It’s completely relative to the environment and has nothing to do with the progression of our experience or the order in which things occur.

So, with the understanding that all of Time is occurring concurrently, all you need do is allow yourself to move into the moment that you wish to be in.

I have found that doing this within my own lifetime is easiest to accomplish (hence the Butterfly Effect reference).


If you are familiar with deep meditation techniques, begin by using whatever your preferred method is to reach a deep state, where your mind is clear and there are no distractions. If you are not familiar with meditation, you might want to practice that first.

From there, form the memory that you wish to return to. Remember that time. That place. The thing you want to change. Concentrate on it until it becomes firmament around you. You are projecting yourself, via your memory, into another place that is equally valid as the present moment as this moment is.

You can act as something of a “spirit guide” to your Self in that moment. Your "present" self and your "past" self will both be there although your past self, who resides in that moment, will not see you. They will, however, hear you subconsciously.

If there's something you're trying to change in your timeline, encourage yourself to act differently in the situation. When you’re ready, you’ll “rubber band” back to this moment. Getting back is super simple and, in my experience, seems to happen naturally.

I have not attempted to influence anyone other than my “past” self with this method. If anyone out there tries to influence someone else in their memory and sees results in the "present", please let me know!

Good luck, time travellers.

∞ 11 : 11 ∞