What kind of Typology of Instants does this blog propose?

This blog was born out of a specific wonder: to realize that in most of the languages there is a lack of words which designate type of instants, names of instants. When I say languages I am talking mainly about english, spanish and german. But hopefuly this research will reveal what is the situation on the other languages.

This is just a starting point, a challenge, and adventure and everyone is invited to collaborate on the process that this blog implies.

I am not interested in finding or creating new words, neither concepts, but descriptions. This doesn´t mean that on the way I will not find words that will approach the idea that I am looking for.

But primary the idea is to research type of instants that I would like to point out as more significants that others. I guess this task is intimately related with the favorite question of my friend Ivan de los Rios: What is important?

Instants are the matter of my live, I am a compendium of instants, a summary of moments that, relevants or irrelevants, will compose the landscape of my perceptions, dreams, desires, expectations, etc.

I am conscious that this enterprise has no end, the number of instants is infinite, as inifinite can be the criteria that everyone will use to define what´s important and what´s not.

Words that already exist

The Instant as a word

Augenblick
The word in german for instant is twinkling of an eye, blinker or flicker, which is strongly connected with light and vision.
In Swedisch and in Dutch, as in german, instant is ögonblick , ogenblik.
Different is in italian: attimo, which comes from athem (anima, in german to breath means atmen), that means respite, a short interval of relief.
In spanish, as in english, is instante, comes from instare (what is about to occur, proximity to the present, imminent and immediately)
In russian is MOMEHT,. The same word we find in other languages: moment, that comes from momentum (brief movement of time, a driving crucial force)


In Greek we at least to concepts to represent time: Kronos and Kairos:

KRONOS
Is the representation on quantitative time

KAIROS
Is the qualitative time, the instamt of making a decision.


The Paradox of the Instant Present
The is no instant present, only past and future


Flash
to appear or occur suddenly
to remember something suddenly
to give off light in sudden bursts, instantaneous illumination for photography.


The Instant of Death

Exitus


The Instant of Revelation

Satori
Initially is a japanish buddhist term for permanent enlightenment: to catch on, to understand.
I remember reading in one of Salinger´s books that satori means what God had in mind right before saying let there be light. Which pushes me to point out this exact instant before the light appeared. In Science the correlative term is Big Bang, there should be an instant right before the Big Bang or if the Big Bang is properlly a type of instant.

Kensho
Another japanish buddhist term for enlightenment but in terms of clear glimpse

Epiphany
Manifestation, revaltion of God as a human being.

Eureka!
The instant of triumph after discovering something

Aha!
The Instant of understanding

Laughing
The Instant of understanding a joke

The Instant of the Meeting

Itsuarpok: is an eskimo word that designates the moment of going out to see if that person expected is coming.


The Instant of Love

Cupid´s arrow


The Instant of Pleasure

Orgasm

The Instant in Literature

Faust: Zum Augenblicke dürft´ ich sagen, Verweile doch! Du bist so schön!

the eye of the needle between now and then

the eye of the needle between now and then, dilates
and spasms, contracts or ever remains the same...
so the instant is that aperture through which consciousness wants to thread, does thread
or around which it evolves into an envelopment, a womb
at which center there is this empty eye of passage, again

peculiar and particularly sensational sensation the orgasm also goes by the name of CLIMAX in english metaphorically some peak or summit in the wave form rising

crash, bang, zoom also describe fleet moments, blinks of the eye
as do glitch, dodge, slam...

as do catalogue and abandon, for that matter

all the threshold, the ecstasies

in fact, it seems that language itself is nothing but an attempt to respond to or be within at every instant or, failing that, capture some small seed of it or in the case of poetry, invent itself into...

poetry chasing instants invents itself into it's own form of time...
into it's own ecstasis

but the word "instant" itself seems naked, unadorned, yes

instant types itself many spaces

the moment in a waiting room in a hospital as opposed to a train station

the moment one stops believing in santa claus

we can invent these words because we always have invented these words

jg

Descriptions of Instants without concept

The instant of a sudden silence between people talking.

The instant of getting a joke before starting to laugh

Instant of pulling the trigger of a gun

The instant of basting a niddle with a thread

Instant before a word comes out of the mouth

Instant right before the doctor gives the results of a possible illness

Instant that a cold drop of rain falls on your head

Instant of steping with a shoe deep into the snow producing a certain sound.

Instant that contains all the instants (eternity?)

Instant that we fall asleep
Instant right before the conductor gives the first signal, before moves the hands for the first time.
Instant right before the conductor gives the last signal, before he gives the signal for the end of the and people to clap.
Instant of exchanging glances with a stranger
Instant of the first time you saw your future best friend
Instant of the first time you saw your future girlfriend.


Jorge Luis Borges: "Cualquier destino, por largo y complicado que sea, consta en realidad de un sólo momento: el momento en el que el hombre sabe para siempre quién es" Biografía de Tadeo Isidoro Cruz