No past.

No future.

Just right now.

HOW IT WORKS

Sketch of a man with curly hair standing and casting a shadow shaped like a magnifying glass on the ground.

The Present Moment Game is a social meditation that brings small groups together—online and in-person—to practice presence. You don’t need any special background to play. Just a willingness to show up, warmly meet others in the moment, and do your very best to stay there.

Get present,
on purpose

Close-up of red lips with an open mouth, as if shouting or speaking, with white sound wave lines emanating from the mouth on a pink background.

Notice your experience as it unfolds, leaving behind all stories about the past and speculation about the future. When a group speaks only from what’s happening in the moment, it’s a surprisingly simple shift that opens up an entirely new way of being together.

Speak only in
present tense

Chalk drawing of four human figures performing acrobatic balancing acts on a blue background.

Entering the moment isn’t the real challenge. Staying in it is. Inevitably, you’ll likely drift into speaking about the past or alluding to the future. This isn't failure! Because noticing you’ve left the moment, and then returning to it—over and over again—is the practice.

Return when
you drift

A woman in a white dress lying on a grassy hill with a gentle slope, looking relaxed with eyes closed.

The game closes with each person sharing a brief reflection on the experience they just had. The hope is that you leave the game with a quieter mind, a softer heart, and a new relationship to the moment that only deepens each time you come back to play.

Leave
differently

What people discover

  • "Returning to the moment again and again felt like I was building a muscle for presence. I'm excited to keep playing and developing this skill."

  • "As someone who thinks about language for a living, I'm wide-eyed at what speaking solely in the present tense unlocks."

  • "Even though I meditate every morning, this experience made me realize that I'm rarely, if ever, truly present with other people. Talk about an awakening."

  • "I was waiting for something more interesting to happen. Then I realized how that expectation was my way of not being with the moment, as it is. Now I get how any ordinary moment—when really, truly observed—is more than enough.”

  • "I didn’t think an hour of staying present could feel this funny, emotional, uncomfortable, joyful, and human all at once."

  • “I was seriously shocked when the timer went off. The hour somehow felt both incredibly long and spacious, and also like no time at all.”

  • “My mind kept reaching for the past or future, just out of habit. I was surprised by just how effective the rules were to bring me back to the moment.”

  • "It's one thing to be fully present by myself, and something very different to share it with others. I want more of this in my life."

  • "I expected awkwardness. But after about 20 minutes into the game, it felt so intimate. Like we skipped all the small talk and landed somewhere way more real."

  • Some parts of the experience felt oddly sacred to me. Like a kind of human communion that people of all (or no) faiths can share.”

Who comes to play

Person wearing a blue shirt holding a book titled 'How to Be in the Moment' in front of their face, with another copy of the book on the table beside them.

Mental Time Travelers

People who tend to replay the past or rehearse the future, and want practice staying in the moment they're actually in.

Two overlapping speech bubbles with ocean waves inside, on a white background.

Mindfulness Practitioners

Those with an existing solo practice who are curious about what a practicing presence with others might make possible.

Vintage illustration of a woman with multiple arms, each holding different objects representing various hobbies and professions, standing against a light beige background.

Full-Plate
People

Busy people who spend most of their time in doing mode, but who want to make more space in their lives to just be.

A woman with a cloth on her head lying in a hospital bed with eyes closed, suggesting she is resting or sleeping.

The Digitally
Overstimulated

Those caught in an endless stream of pings, updates, alerts, and noise, who crave an analog experience of just…less.

A drawing of a human heart with two arms crossed over it

Tender-Hearted Humans

Anyone who is moving through loss, change, grief, or uncertainty, and seeking refuge in the sturdiness of the present moment.

Silhouette of a person sitting cross-legged in a meditation pose with a bright light or aura emanating from their head.

Presence Practicers

People who’ve glimpsed what it feels like to be fully present, and want practice finding their way back to the experience, on purpose.

Two synchronized swimmers performing underwater in a pool, creating bubbles and ripples in the water.

Anyone who has no idea
what this is, but has made it
this far and wants to sign up
and find out.

Depth
Seekers

People craving deeper social contact that goes beyond the usual small talk, stories, and conversational scripts.

Three computer keyboard keys labeled Ctrl, Alt, and Delete on a light green background.

Between-Chapter People

Those in the strange space between what was and what's next, curious about who they are right now.

A black background with a white hole in the shape of a keyhole. Inside the hole, there is an illustration of a human eye with detailed iris and eyelashes, giving a surreal and mysterious feel.

The Simply Curious

Anyone who has no idea what the heck this is, but has made it this far, and wants to sign up and find out.

Just Humans Being.