Time and Its Consequences
The effects of past, present, and future concepts on how we think and act, as well as seeing time as only an idea and a perception, are examined here.
My purpose has always been to challenge our perceptions of reality, because our perceptions determine how we react to it. But first, let’s define the purpose of this paper. The purpose is not to propose a new philosophical discussion or an alternative scientific explanation of time. We shall, however, draw on pertinent scientific theories and philosophies because they are distinct insights that may help us establish a new perspective on time. Hopefully, a more practical and helpful knowledge of time emerges.
The Concept of Time
The desire to identify and define things and concepts appears to be universal. As a result, we will be able to respond appropriately to what we have defined 1. It reveals the unknown. And having a solid comprehension of what we’ve called and defined allows us to navigate our surroundings more efficiently in order to help us survive.
That has been the case from the beginning of recorded history. Because humans are social creatures, everything we see and experience must have a name so that we can recognize it and communicate about it effectively. As a result, a shared understanding of a notion or idea is achieved.
I suppose the same may be said about our perception of time. We gave it a name and a definition so that we could react correctly to it. And as a result, we now have a common grasp of this topic, which will help us communicate more effectively. The concept of time evolved into a convention around which the everyday human tasks required for subsistence could be scheduled.
But what exactly is time? Has our notion of time evolved since humans first appeared on the scene? It has, in my opinion.
We grew acclimated to everyone’s perception of time since we were born into a world where it had already been agreed upon. This widely accepted and broadly defined concept grew in our consciousness. Is our knowledge of it, however, correct?
Imagine growing up in a world where everyone believes the planet is flat. And there’s no way to prove anything else. Then this common principle will underpin all of our thoughts and behaviors. We’d live and die with the knowledge that the earth was flat. And maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference if we had known the truth.
Is it feasible, after all of this, that time only exists because we believe it does? We’ve given it a name, we’ve quantified it, and it’s the center of our daily lives. But what if our perception of time is incorrect? What if we went about defining it incorrectly?
Perhaps, like the ancient philosophers, we approached this topic on the basis of an incorrect assumption. People who lived in ancient times believed the earth was flat, therefore they could only manage their ships in a limited way. Is it possible, then, that our concept of time has also hampered us in some way?
How Do We Feel About Time?
To begin, we must acknowledge that our ability to sense time limits our understanding of it.
This reasoning also applies to reality as a whole. Our actions are guided by our perceptions of reality. But, regrettably, these views are based on our limited vision and comprehension of the world around us. Given the limitations of the human mind and the senses we possess, we will attempt to approach the concept of time for practical purposes.
Everything in our environment shifts. Because of the continuity of our consciousness, we are able to detect these changes. 3. A steady stream of changing stimuli allows us to feel time. But doesn’t it feel like time has stopped when the stimuli is constant? Our purpose is not to develop an objective idea of time once more. Rather, we’re trying to figure out how we perceive time. And I believe the secret lies in how our minds interpret what we see. Aristotle may have been the first to suggest a link between change and time. 4. But what if there isn’t any relationship since time doesn’t exist? Ernst Mach proposed that time is only an abstraction resulting from observed changes.
Our memory and attention allow us to be aware of the passage of time. 6. The mind in an awake state can perceive this apparent flow of time because we are always aware of changes happening around and to us.
Consider the examples of those with amnesia, those who are unable to establish long-term memories, or those who suffer from dissociative identity disorder. A person’s awareness of reality is interrupted in all of these circumstances due to a memory gap.
We can perceive the entirety of an experience because our awareness connects and interprets all stimuli to form a full picture. Take, for example, our perception of music. Music is nothing more than a series of varied and varying aural stimuli arranged in a certain order. However, it is only our awareness that combines these impulses in order to recognize a song’s pattern 7.
Time and Human Beings
Can animals sense the passage of time? They appear to be able to do so. Animals, on the other hand, lack the analytical mental processes that humans do. As a result, they are unable to see it in the same manner that people do.
Consider a dog’s reaction to a moving vehicle. Because its senses get indications that the car is changing position, a dog can perceive the car’s motion. The dog appears to foresee where the car will go as it chases it. However, it may do so due to the particular structure of its sensors and the brain’s innate training to perceive motion. Will the dog, on the other hand, be able to think about the car’s past or future?
Only present drives drive a dog’s behavior 9. It will not go as to plan. It also has no regrets.
Why is it that humans are able to develop a sense of time but other organisms are unable to? What does it serve?
Is it to be able to recognize the cause and effect relationship between our activities so that we can learn what is good and what is bad? However, animals can learn cause and effect through conditioning 10.
The need to define time evolved from man’s desire to synchronize his actions with those of others in order for human connection and transaction to take place without chaos. Today’s generation has become acclimated to how we see and measure the passage of time. Since the invention of the sundial, the practicality of establishing a universal way of measuring time has evolved. The concept of time now pervades all human action.
A Timeline of Events
Because of our memories, we are aware of previous experiences. But what about incidents that occurred before we were born? We can’t possible remember anything that happened before we were conscious of our own existence. This is where our notion of history enters the picture. History, on the other hand, is nothing more than a written record of past events by those who came before us 11.
Is history, then, a reliable depiction of what we now refer to as the past? Is it true that the past no longer exists if there is no record of events that have occurred? I can’t help but think of Immaterialism, a philosophy that maintains that objects only exist in our thoughts if we imagine them 12.
However, this concept of history and the past is really a byproduct of a widely believed view of time. I propose that the past is more about change than it is about time. Change is remembered in the past. As a result, history can be viewed as a record of developments that occurred before we were aware of them.
