German spiritual researcher and author Eckhart Tolle says that the way we perceive time is our own choice and is the very source of human suffering. He argues that our fixation on a constant mental noise of 'what if' and 'if only' creates a pervasive negative ambience in our state of being. Beyond our name, history and roles lies our essential being, which Tolle calls Presence or Consciousness.

Tolle emphasises that the only moment that truly exists is the 'now'. The past only exists in our memory, very often as regret, mistakes and missed opportunities, and the future only exists in our anticipation, usually as fear of what might happen that is painful, and beyond our control.

Tolle distinguishes between clock time and psychological time. The first is the practical time we use to function in the world. For example: 'I have an important presentation tomorrow morning; hence, I must prepare thoroughly tonight.'

Psychological time, on the other hand, is the harmful internal sense of insecurity based on the past and projected into the future. For instance: 'What if I forget an important detail like I did earlier, and ruin my talk?'

Rohinton Mistry, in 'A Fine Balance', illustrates this concept. Ashraf Chacha, a poor tailor in rural India, says in despair: 'Time is the twine to tie our lives into parcels of years or months. Or a rubber band stretched to suit our fancy. Time can be the pretty ribbon in a little girl's hair. Or the lines in your face, stealing your youthful colour and your hair.' He sighed and smiled. 'But in the end, time is a noose around the neck, strangling slowly.' We must choose either the pretty ribbon, or the noose!