One of the reasons the mind might spend so much time contemplating the past and the future is because doing so is a distraction from the awkward, difficult, and unpleasant realities of the present moment. There is certainly great peace to be found in the here and now, but the cost of that peace is getting honest with ourselves about all of the parts of this human experience that we habitually avoid. Even when no-one else is watching, it's not easy to be vulnerable.