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Summary

This chapter treats eternity not as abstract metaphysics, but as a psychological experience in which linear temporal sequence falls apart and there arises a sense of participation in an infinite flow of meanings. Through an analysis of mythological, Jungian, and phenomenological approaches (Eliade, Jung, Bergson, etc.) and through the lens of practice (autogenic training, transpersonal techniques, artistic creation), it shows how this experience shapes the integrity of personality, strengthens creative potential, and serves as a resource for existential resilience. Special attention is paid to symbolism (the medallion of eternity, ouroboros, knot, triskelion) and to practical recommendations for using visual anchors in therapeutic and art practice. At the end of the chapter, warnings are given about possible risks when working with atemporal states, and reference is made to an extended list of symbols in the appendix to Chapter 9.

Key Concepts

Eternity – a universal cultural and religious notion denoting a going-beyond linear time. In different traditions it is understood as the endless cycle of nature (mythologies), immutable being (ancient philosophy), an attribute of God and afterlife (monotheistic religions), emptiness and impermanence (Buddhism), durée or eternal return (modern philosophy). In psychology and psychotherapy – the subjective experience of belonging to an infinite flow of meanings.

Eternity (as a subjective experience) – a state of consciousness in which the sense of sequential time disappears and participation in the infinite opens up.

Duration (durée) – phenomenologically lived «living time,» a flow of consciousness that cannot be decomposed into discrete segments (Bergson).

Atemporality / timelessness – a psychic state of falling out of time, the experience of its halt.

Archetypes of the collective unconscious – universal symbolic structures expressing universal human experience (Jung).

Visual / symbolic anchor (medallion of eternity) – an image or object that fixes access to the state of participation in eternity and serves as a therapeutic point of reference.

Transpersonal experience – an experience of going beyond the individual «I» and personal biography, associated with a sense of unity with the world.

Autogenic training (AT) – a method of self-regulation based on formulaic suggestions and relaxation, used to enter special mental states.

Aims of the Chapter

– To give a compact definition of eternity as a psychological phenomenon and distinguish it from philosophical and metaphysical interpretations.

– To show the cultural-historical and Jungian roots of the experience of eternity through the analysis of symbols and rituals.

– To describe practical ways of inducing atemporal states (AT, meditative techniques, artistic contemplation) and formulate clinical recommendations and cautions for their use.

The Ornament «Medallion of Eternity»

The Ornament «Medallion of Eternity»

This composition is an attempt to visually connect several archetypal images through which different cultures have expressed the idea of non-linear, cyclical, and infinite time.

The outer ring – ouroboros (a snake biting its tail) – reflects the closedness of cycles, the idea of return and self-reproduction; the central interwoven knot – a relative of the Tibetan «endless knot» – symbolizes the interdependence of events and the impossibility of isolating a «beginning» or an «end»; the spiral groups (triskelion-like clusters) give movement and recall the three-vector structure of time (past—present—future), while the stylized «key» at the base (an echo of the ankh / Armenian sign of eternity) functions as a semantic anchor – an indication of life, meaning, and continuity.

From a psychological point of view, such an image works on several levels at once. It is both a «medallion of memory,» holding semantic layers of experience, and a focusing instrument that helps to experience a break with the linear sequence of time: in contemplation, the boundaries of «I» and «now» shift, and a sense of belonging to a wider current of being opens up. In autogenic training, meditation, or artistic creation, such a medallion can serve as a visual anchor – as an object through which the psyche receives permission to go beyond habitual temporal frames and to feel «eternity» not as an abstraction but as a lived reality.

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The Eternity Experience Questionnaire and the extended list of symbols of Eternity can be found in the Appendix to Chapter 9.

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The Idea of Eternity in Culture and Religion

The concept of eternity has accompanied humanity since the most ancient times, though it has been expressed differently in different cultures and religions. In the mythologies of early societies, eternity was often understood as the cyclical turnover of nature – the alternation of day and night, seasons, life and death. In Indian philosophy, it is saṃsāra, the endless cycle of rebirth.

In ancient Greece, eternity was associated with the idea of an immutable cosmos (Parmenides, Plato), and in Rome – with the cult of the eternal city. Christianity gave the concept a personal meaning: eternity became a quality of God and the goal of the soul. In Islam, eternity is also understood as the infinitude of Allah and as life after death.

In Buddhism, eternity is rather rejected as an illusion of permanence; the accent falls on emptiness and impermanence. In modern philosophy (Bergson, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche), eternity gained new shades – as «duration,» «will,» «eternal return.»

Thus, the idea of eternity is truly universal: it is present in all traditions, but its meanings differ – from mystical experience to philosophical reflection and religious dogma.

Plato (Timaeus, 37d—38a) writes:

«Time came into being together with the heaven, in order that, being generated together, they might also be dissolved together. It was made in the likeness of eternity, so that it might be as like it as possible. For eternity abides in the unity of the same, whereas time, in ever-moving likeness, imitates eternity.»

Here Plato contrasts eternity (as motionless, perfect being) and time (as its image in motion).

Philosophy and Psychology of Time and Eternity

Introduction: Eternity as a Psychological Phenomenon

Eternity as a psychological phenomenon is a subjective experience in which the human psyche goes beyond linear, sequential time and feels unity with the infinite, the transcendent, or the cosmos. This is not just an abstract philosophical category, but a deep psychic process that appears in mystical experiences, creativity, love, and even in relaxation practices such as autogenic training (AT).

Eternity here is understood not as an objective reality, but as an inner state of consciousness in which time loses its linearity, becoming «duration» or an atemporal flow. This sense of participation in the eternal allows a person to transcend the limitations of everyday existence, integrating archetypes, myths, and emotional bonds into a single psychological whole.

The philosophy and psychology of time and eternity explore how these experiences shape human consciousness. Key thinkers such as Mircea Eliade, Carl Gustav Jung, Henri Bergson, Erich Fromm, and Viktor Znakov offer interpretations in which eternity is linked to the collective unconscious, creative impulse, and modes of being. Below, we examine these ideas, drawing on their works to reveal how eternity manifests in the psyche.

Mythological and Cultural Aspects of Eternity: Mircea Eliade’s Perspective

In Myths, Dreams and Mysteries (2000, Russian edition), Mircea Eliade regards eternity as a psychological phenomenon rooted in mystical experience and cultural rituals. He analyses how, in different cultures – from archaic societies to modern belief systems – myths and rituals function as mechanisms for stepping beyond linear time.

Eliade emphasizes that through mystical experiences the individual feels unity with the cosmos, overcoming temporal limitations. Dreams and mysteries serve as a bridge to the transcendent, where eternity is integrated into everyday psyche not only as a personal experience but also as a cultural phenomenon.

This echoes ideas of atemporality in creativity and love, where mythology shapes the psychological perception of reality. Eliade shows that eternity is not an illusion, but a fundamental way in which the psyche copes with the finitude of existence, returning to «sacred time» via rituals and symbols.

He writes (in Russian translation of The Myth of the Eternal Return and The Sacred and the Profane):

«For religious man, time, like space, is not homogeneous or continuous. There is, therefore, sacred time and profane time. Every religious festival, every liturgical time means an actualization of a sacred event that took place in mythical past, «in illo tempore’. Participation in the festival leads the believer out of ordinary duration and into sacred time, which becomes present again. Thus sacred time is indefinitely recoverable; it can be repeated endlessly.»

Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious: Carl Gustav Jung

In Psychology and Alchemy (1997, Russian edition), Carl Gustav Jung interprets eternity through the lens of analytical psychology, linking it with archetypes of the collective unconscious. For Jung, alchemy is a metaphor for a psychological process of transformation in which the symbols of transforming metals mirror inner shifts in consciousness.

Mystical experiences such as union with the Self lead the psyche beyond linear time, enabling a sense of participation in the eternal. Jung interprets alchemical texts as projections of psychic processes in which the symbolism of eternity appears in dreams and visions.

Alchemy, in this sense, becomes a path to integrating opposites – consciousness and the unconscious – leading to transcendent states, crucial for understanding creativity and love. Eternity is seen here as a psychological reality in which the collective unconscious offers timeless patterns that help the person overcome the temporal limitations of the ego.

Duration and Creative Impulse: Henri Bergson

In Creative Evolution (1992, Russian edition), Henri Bergson introduces the notion of duration (durée) as intuitive, non-linear time, in contrast to mechanistic, chronological time. Eternity is felt through the creative process, where life evolves as a continuous flow that leads beyond linear time.

Bergson analyses evolution as an impulse in which mystical and creative experiences allow contact with the eternal. Love and creativity appear as forms of duration in which the individual feels unity with the cosmos, transcending the breaks of sequential time.

This approach is fundamental for understanding the psychological perception of time in the context of mysticism and AT, where «duration» becomes a key to transcendence, allowing the psyche to integrate past, present, and future in a single flow.

Modes of Being and Alienation: Erich Fromm

In To Have or To Be? (2004, Russian edition), Erich Fromm contrasts two modes of existence: having (possession) and being (existence), where eternity is reached precisely through «being» in love and creativity.

He analyses how consumer society alienates a person from the eternal by imposing a linear time of accumulation. Love as being leads beyond this linear time, creating participation in eternity through deep relationships. Fromm addresses psychological aspects in which «having» leads to alienation and egoism, whereas «being» leads to mystical union, transcending temporal barriers.

This is a key text for the psychology of love as a transcendent phenomenon, showing how eternity manifests in authentic relationships, integrating mysticism into everyday psyche.

Fromm writes (Russian edition of To Have or To Be?):

«If I am what I have, and if what I have is lost, who then am I? I am nothing, except a defeated, humiliated, miserable testimony to a wrong mode of living.»

«Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.»

Understanding and Transpersonal Experience: Viktor Znakov

In The Psychology of Understanding (2005), Viktor Znakov explores understanding as a psychological process through which eternal meanings are experienced in mystical experience.

The book analyses how understanding leads beyond linear time, linking it with love and creativity. Znakov highlights the role of the collective unconscious in the sense of participation in the eternal, drawing examples from literature. This is a work on transpersonal experience in which understanding acts as a key to transcendence, allowing the psyche to integrate timeless archetypes into a personal narrative.

Znakov supplements Jungian ideas by showing how cognitive processes contribute to going beyond temporal frames.

Synthesis of Ideas

Although this chapter focuses on the philosophy and psychology of time, the ideas of eternity resonate with other aspects. For example, in William James’s account of mystical experience (The Varieties of Religious Experience, Russian ed. 2001), eternity is felt as unity with the cosmos in peak experiences, similar to Eliade’s sacred rituals.

In Johannes Schultz’s Autogenic Training (Russian ed. 2005), relaxation evokes atemporal states close to Bergsonian duration. Creativity in Lev Vygotsky’s The Psychology of Art (2008) overcomes time through catharsis, and love in Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning (1990, Russian edition) connects the person with the eternal through meaning, echoing Fromm’s «being.»

The idea of eternity in the psychology and philosophy of time is not limited to abstract contemplation; it directly influences personal development and self-understanding. Experiencing atemporal states through meditation, autogenic training, creative activity, or deep interpersonal bonds allows a person to become aware of inner wholeness and of connection with a broader context of existence.

Symbols, archetypes, visual and cognitive anchors make it possible to «try on» eternal meanings in everyday life, helping to transform habitual reactions and motives. Love, creativity, deep understanding of events, and inner dialogue become tools through which the psyche integrates the eternal into its structures, forming resilience, spiritual flexibility, and the ability to see long-term perspectives.

Thus, working with eternity is not an escape from life, but its deep comprehension, capable of enriching daily existence and facilitating personal realization.

In conclusion, eternity as a psychological phenomenon is a transcendent state in which the psyche merges with the infinite, overcoming linear time through myths, archetypes, duration, being, and understanding. These ideas not only explain inner processes but also offer paths to self-knowledge, integrating the eternal into everyday life.

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In my book Dialogues of Souls I propose practical methods for developing inner dialogue as a tool of self-knowledge and of deepening the connection with eternity. Through exercises in mindful attention and work with images and symbols, the reader learns to integrate experiences of the unconscious, to expand the perception of time, and to feel participation in the infinite flow of meanings.

Literature and Commentary

1. Philosophy and Psychology of Time and Eternity

Bergson, H. (1992). Creative Evolution. Moscow: Kanon.

Bergson introduces the concept of «duration» (durée) as intuitive, qualitative time, in which eternity is felt through the creative process. He contrasts mechanistic time with duration, where life evolves through a creative impulse that moves beyond linear time. The book analyses evolution as a continuous flow in which mystical and creative experiences allow contact with the eternal. Bergson underscores that love and creativity are forms of duration in which the individual senses unity with the cosmos. This is a fundamental work for understanding the psychological experience of time in the context of mysticism and autogenic training.

Eliade, M. (2000). Myths, Dreams and Mysteries. Moscow: Progress-Traditsiya.

Eliade, a prominent historian of religions, analyses mystical experience and the perception of time in various cultures, emphasizing how myths and rituals allow humans to step beyond linear time. He describes eternity as a psychological phenomenon in which, through mystical experience, the individual feels unity with the cosmos and overcomes temporal limitations. The book includes a comparative analysis of archaic societies and modern beliefs, showing how dreams and mysteries serve as a bridge to the transcendent, which resonates with ideas of atemporality in creativity and love. This is a foundational work for understanding how mythology shapes the psychological perception of reality.

Fromm, E. (2004). To Have or To Be? Moscow: AST.

Fromm contrasts «having» (possession) and «being» (existence), arguing that eternity is attained through the mode of being in love and creativity. He analyses how consumer society alienates a person from the eternal, while love as being leads beyond linear time. The book addresses psychological aspects in which «having» leads to alienation, and «being» – to participation in the eternal through relationships. Fromm links this to mysticism, showing how love overcomes egoism. This is a key text for understanding the psychology of love as a transcendent phenomenon.

Jung, C. G. (1997). Psychology and Alchemy. Moscow: Refl-Book, Vakler.

Jung explores alchemy as a psychological process in which the symbols of transforming metals reflect internal changes in consciousness. He links eternity with archetypes of the collective unconscious, where mystical experiences such as union with the Self lead beyond linear time. The book treats alchemical texts as projections of psychic processes, showing how the symbolism of eternity appears in dreams and visions. Jung emphasizes that alchemy is a path of integrating opposites, leading to a sense of participation in the eternal – relevant for understanding creativity and love as transcendent states. This is a key work for analytical psychology, where eternity is viewed as a psychological reality.

Znakov, V. V. (2005). The Psychology of Understanding. Moscow: Institute of Psychology, RAS.

Znakov examines understanding as a psychological process in which eternal meanings are experienced through mystical experience. The book analyses how understanding leads beyond linear time, connecting it with love and creativity. He emphasizes the role of the collective unconscious in the sense of participation in the eternal, with examples from literature. This is a work on transpersonal experience, where understanding is treated as a key to transcendence.

2. Mystical Experience and the Experience of Eternity

Albrecht, C. (2019). Psychology of Mystical Consciousness. Crossroad Publishing Company.

Albrecht investigates mystical consciousness as a stepping beyond ordinary time, drawing on empirical data. The book focuses on atemporality, linking it with psychological models of personality and altered states of consciousness. It offers an integrative view of mysticism as both a subjective and researchable phenomenon.

James, W. (2001). The Varieties of Religious Experience. Moscow: Nauka.

James classifies mystical states as the basis of religious experience, where eternity is felt as unity with the cosmos. The book analyses peak experiences, including atemporality, with examples from various traditions. He emphasizes their noetic character, in which mysticism provides knowledge of the eternal, linking it with love and creativity. This is a foundational work in the psychology of religion.

Khoruzhy, S. S. (Ed.). (2017). Mysticism: Theory and History. Moscow: Institute of Philosophy, RAS.

A collection of articles on the theory and history of mysticism, including psychological aspects of atemporality. The volume offers interdisciplinary approaches to mystical states, combining historical, theological, and psychological perspectives, and is useful for understanding how experiences of eternity are framed in different traditions.

Maslow, A. (1997). Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences. Kyiv: Psycheya.

Maslow describes peak experiences as a sense of eternity found in love and creativity. He treats them as transcendent states that lift a person beyond ordinary time. The book analyses how such experiences support self-actualization and provide a sense of connection with something greater than the individual.

Shugurov, M. V., & Mozzhilin, S. I. (2023). «Interpretation of Religious-Mystical Experience within Analytical Psychology.» RSUH Bulletin.

The authors analyse mystical experience from a Jungian standpoint, showing eternity as unity with the unconscious. They discuss how archetypal imagery structures mystical experiences and how this can be integrated into psychotherapeutic practice, paying attention to both risks and developmental potentials of such states.

Stace, W. T. (2002). Mysticism and Philosophy. Moscow: Progress.

Stace analyses atemporality in mysticism as a stepping beyond linear time, comparing different traditions. The book classifies types of mystical experience and highlights the sense of unity with the eternal. He also links this with psychology, showing how mystical experience yields a sense of participation in eternity and can be discussed in philosophical terms.

Tart, C. (1969/2019). Altered States of Consciousness. Wiley.

A classic anthology on altered states of consciousness, including mystical experiences. Tart presents experimental data and theoretical models describing atemporal states and their implications for psychology and spirituality. The volume remains a key reference for research on consciousness and time.

3. Autogenic Training and Altered States of Consciousness

Green, E., & Green, A. (1977/2019). Beyond Biofeedback. Fort Wayne Books.

The Greens explore biofeedback and self-regulation, including experiences that participants describe as timeless. The book bridges psychophysiological methods and subjective reports of altered time perception, demonstrating how conscious control of physiological processes can open access to unusual states of consciousness.

Grof, S. (2001). Psychology of the Future. Moscow: AST.

Grof explores transpersonal states, including experiences of eternity, arising in psychedelic sessions, holotropic breathwork, and other techniques. He argues that such states reveal fundamental dimensions of the psyche and require an expanded cartography of consciousness. The book is central for understanding how altered states reshape the experience of time and self.

Lindemann, H. (1993). Autogenic Training: The Path to Restoring Health. Moscow: Fizkultura i sport.

Lindemann describes autogenic training as a path to health, including the use of atemporal states for psychological and somatic healing. He emphasizes the role of repeated practice, the integration of AT into everyday life, and the importance of safe guidance when working with deep relaxation.

Safronov, A. G. (2021). Psychological Practices in Mystic Traditions. Independent.

Safronov analyses psychological practices in mystical traditions, including autogenic training, meditative, and breathing techniques, as ways of achieving experiences of eternity and transpersonal states. The book offers both historical overview and practical guidance, making it relevant for clinicians interested in integrating such methods.

Schultz, J. H. (2005). Autogenic Training. Moscow: Meditsina.

Schultz presents autogenic training as a method of relaxation that can induce atemporal states close to mystical experience. The book focuses on psychophysiology, showing how AT helps achieve deep relaxation, modulate autonomic functions, and, in some cases, evoke experiences that transcend ordinary temporal perception.

4. Creativity and Eternity

Chernyak, M. A. (2020). «The Phenomenon of Mass Literature.» Philology and Culture.

Chernyak analyses mass literature as a social phenomenon that still touches eternal themes – love, death, meaning – thus connecting everyday reading with broader existential questions. The article shows how even popular genres can function as carriers of archetypal and timeless motifs.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2013). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Moscow: Alpina Non-fiction.

Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as an atemporal state in creative and productive activity. In flow, a person loses self-consciousness and sense of clock time, while maintaining intense focus and joy in the process. The book offers practical conditions for generating flow and discusses its role in well-being and self-realization.

Rank, O. (2007). Art and the Artist. Moscow: Smysl.

Rank links creativity with the perception of eternity through the unconscious. He argues that artistic creation is a way of symbolically overcoming mortality and participating in the eternal. The book presents art as a psychological process of self-creation and transcendence.

Shamas, V. (2017). Deep Creativity. Morgan James Publishing.

Shamas integrates psychology and mysticism in the understanding of creativity, including experiences of timelessness. He proposes practical tools for entering deeper creative states, drawing on both empirical findings and contemplative traditions.

Vygotsky, L. S. (2008). The Psychology of Art. Moscow: Labirint.

Vygotsky analyses art as a way of overcoming time and encountering eternal meanings through catharsis. He shows how artistic form reorganizes emotional experience, allowing the individual to join a broader symbolic order that goes beyond personal biography. The book is essential for understanding the psychological mechanisms of aesthetic experience.

5. Love as a Psychological Phenomenon of Eternity

Buber, M. (1995). I and Thou. Moscow: Vysshaya Shkola.

Buber sees dialogue and genuine encounter (the I—Thou relation) as a path to eternity. In true relation, the other is perceived as a presence rather than an object, and the person touches the eternal «You.» The book is central for dialogical philosophy and for understanding love as a relational, transcendent event.

Frankl, V. (1990). Man’s Search for Meaning. Moscow: Progress.

Frankl sees love as an existential experience of connection with the eternal through meaning. Drawing on his experience in concentration camps, he shows how the image of a beloved person and devotion to values allow one to withstand extreme conditions and feel a link to something timeless. The book is a cornerstone of logotherapy and existential analysis.

Heinlein, R. (1973/2020). Time Enough for Love.

In this novel, Heinlein explores love and eternity through the theme of immortality. The hero’s extended lifespan allows reflection on the enduring nature of love and personal identity across time. The text is useful as a philosophical and literary exploration of temporal and existential themes.

Lewis, C. S. (2000). The Four Loves. Moscow: Progress.

Lewis analyses love as a transcendent phenomenon that leads beyond time. He distinguishes different forms of love (affection, friendship, eros, charity) and shows how, in their highest form, they connect the person with the eternal. The book bridges theology, philosophy, and everyday experience.

Morozova, E. A. (2021). «The Philosophy of Love in Russian Literature.» Philosophical Sciences.

Morozova analyses love as an eternal process in Russian literature, showing how classical texts treat love as a way of stepping beyond temporal constraints and encountering the eternal. She highlights narrative and symbolic strategies that connect personal stories with timeless meanings.

6. Additional Sources

Hufford, D. (2019). Psychological Perspectives on Reality. Palgrave Macmillan.

Hufford provides psychological frameworks for anomalous and paranormal experiences, including mystical ones, and discusses their implications for notions of reality and time. The book is relevant for understanding how experiences of eternity and altered temporality fit into broader models of mind and world.

Kozlov, V. V. (2006). The Psychology of Transpersonal Experience. Moscow: Institute of Psychotherapy.

Kozlov examines transpersonal experiences of eternity in mystical practices and psychotherapeutic contexts, including their risks and developmental potential. He offers clinical classifications and practical guidelines for working with such states.

Levin, G., & Steele, R. (2005). «The Transcendent Experience.» Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing.

A review of transcendent experiences, including psychological aspects of eternity and altered time perception. The authors summarize empirical findings and propose directions for further research linking physiology, phenomenology, and spirituality.

Rubinstein, S. L. (2002). Being and Consciousness. Moscow: Akademiya.

Rubinstein offers a philosophical-psychological analysis of being and time, providing conceptual tools for understanding how consciousness relates to temporality and eternity. The book is important for grounding discussions of eternal experience in a rigorous theory of personality and activity.

Witt, A. V. (2015). Mystical Experience. Self-published.

Witt discusses mythopoetic creativity and the search for eternal principles in human experience. The work combines philosophical reflection with literary and experiential material, illustrating how individuals interpret and narrate contacts with the timeless.

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