Becoming irrelevant, in a good way

Thanks to Rachel, I read a really interesting article about a hermit, who said this, when reflecting on his decades living in the woods:

"With no audience, no one to perform for, I was just there. There was no need to define myself; I became irrelevant. The moon was the minute hand, the seasons the hour hand."

I think maybe I sometimes feel sort of like that for a few minutes when doing a 5-day bike ride, and think I'd like to try to experience this more - on or off the bike.

(I messed up my hyperlink when editing this on the phone, and now can't add one. Here's the article: http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201409/the-last-true-hermit)