Really, I did.
The best part is, when you travel through time using this method, there is ZERO risk of changing the past in the slightest way causing a ripple effect of tumultuous consequences that forever alter the future, and thus the present.
I mean, technically, you can "change pieces of the past" through a loophole that I'll mention in a bit, but any changes you make WILL NOT AFFECT THE PRESENT.
Anyway, I've proofed an equation that allows for time travel. Are you ready?
Journaling + Memories = Time Travel
Is it what you were expecting? Probably not. Unfortunately this method of time travel skips over all shiny scientific equipment, highly skilled physicists, and inter-dimensional obstacles, BUT it does allow for ANYONE to travel through time.... using only a pen and paper.
Bear with me here.
This is a radical notion, but I believe that every single person should be journaling daily. When you write in a journal, you create remnants of time. You create an infrastructure of bare bones to build on when you return. Weeks, months, or years later when you go back to read your journals, your memories enrich, enliven, and fatten up the words you have written to mentally bring you back to that time and space.
By reading and remembering, you are removed from the present to travel to the past.
Seriously!!
So what if you want to change the past?
Like I mentioned before, you can't physically alter the past through this method so there is zero consequence to alter the present. However, one is able to 'circumvent' this rule by changing the words written on your page at the time. You can create your own experience of that story-- one that you would prefer to remember-- to come back to later.
There is little research at this time about the repercussions of attempting to alter the past, but our preliminary research suggests that there may be a degree of cognitive dissonance in this instance. If, for example, you are writing how proud you are of finishing an online course, but you actually didn't watch the last two lectures. You can go ahead and write how you finished the course, however, you may re-read that later knowing you did not finish those last two lectures. A sense of guilt may overcome you and a level of dissonance occurs.
However, we have found that as the length of time from the specific event increases, the likelihood of dissonance decreases. Our memories take liberties sometimes to fill in the gaps, and we often forget details in order to store the bigger picture. You may look back on that entry many years later, and completely forget about those last two lectures you missed, and only remember the sense of accomplishment.
(Could go either way! Please let me know your experiences if you try this method)
"So... where do I start?"
This is a common question when people contemplate journaling. Honestly, there is no better moment to start than NOW. Grab a writing utensil and some paper. I recommend purchasing a little journal to keep all of your entries together (I am obsessed with Moleskines!), but even just looseleaf paper will work for now.
Start by dedicating some time first thing in the morning to write 2 pages worth of words each day. When you are starting out, don't put too much pressure on WHAT to write--just write. It can be stream of consciousness, it can be a narrative, it can be a theory on the happenings of the world right now, it can be hopes and dreams for the future. It can be anything EXCEPT laundry lists. Don't get me wrong: my journals are littered with to-do lists, too, but to get you started actually writing, skip the lists and get to the meat of your life.
A few prompts to help get you started might be to ask yourself:
"How am I feeling?"
"What do I want to do today?"
"What did I do yesterday?"
"What's going on in the world right now?"
"What or who am I grateful for?"
"What opportunities might I like to pursue soon?"
"What would my ideal day look like?"
Also, don't forget to write the month, date, year, day, and time!!! This is crucial for the time travel. I mean, you need to input the time and date to which you want to travel in a time machine, too, don't you? Same applies here.
Start writing TODAY and start time traveling as early as TOMORROW.
If you have any more questions about how to get started, please feel free to reach out!
I am happy to help.
Happy time traveling, folks!