Theory of Time

[Jin]

Time is only an illusion produced by the succession of our states of consciousness as we travel through eternal duration, and it does not exist where no consciousness exists in which the illusion can be produced; but "lies asleep." The present is only a mathematical line which divides that part of eternal duration which we call the future, from that part which we call the past. Nothing on earth has real duration, for nothing remains without change -or the same- for the billionth part of a second; and the sensation we have of actuality of the division of "time" known as the present, comes from the blurring of that momentary glimpse, or succession of glimpses, of things that our senses give us, as those things pass from the region of ideals which we call the future, to the region of memories that we name the past. In the same way we experience a sensation of duration in the case of the instantaneous electric spark, by reason of the blurred and continuing impression on the retina. The real person or thing does not consist solely of what is seen at any particular moment, but is composed od the sum of all its various and changing conditions from its appearance in the material form to its disappearance from the earth. It is these "sum totals" that exist from the eternity in the "future" and pass by degrees through matter, to exist for eternity in the "past." No one could say that a bar of metal dropped into the sea came into existence as it left the air, and ceased to exist as it entered the water, and that the bar itself consisted only of that cross-section thereof which at any given moment coincided with the mathematical plane that separates, and, at the same time, joins, the atmosphere and the ocean. Even so of persons and things, which, dropping out of the to-be into the has-been, out of the future into the past--present momentarily to our senses a cross-section, as it were, of their total selves, as they pass through time and space (as matter) on their way from one eternity to another : and these two constitute that "duration" in which alone anything has true existence, were our senses but able to cognize it there. So, what do you guys think after reading this?

[bradybaker]

Nothing on earth has real duration, for nothing remains without change -or the same- for the billionth part of a second; and the sensation we have of actuality of the division of \"time\" known as the present, comes from the blurring of that momentary glimpse, or succession of glimpses, of things that our senses give us, as those things pass from the region of ideals which we call the future, to the region of memories that we name the past.[/b] Actually, current theories (most notably, the theory of loop quantum gravity) suggest that time actually passes in finite "ticks" of the cosmic clock. So for the briefest of brief moments, everything does remain exactly as is.

[Jin]

This may be contradictory to what I just put down, but there seems to be different classifications for time. Here they are: Elliptical Time Line: Elliptical time has no barriers. Which means we can travel hundreds or thousands of years at a time. Rotational Time Line: Rotational time has a barrier of one hundreds years. Therefore we can only travel a time span of one hundred years backwards or forwards at a time Horizontal Time Line: Horizontal time has a barrier of fifty years in any direction at one time. Vertical Time line: Vertical time is used for viewing the events of one year from a point in the past or future once you have reached that time period. Linear Time Line: Linear time has a barrier of one month so we can only travel a time span of one month at a time. Lineal Time Line: Lineal time has a barrier of 24 hours so you can only travel a time span of 24 hours at a time.

[Taosaur]

Just curious--where are you getting this stuff from?

[Kanji]

I know where. Here guys, check out this site: http://home.xtra.co.nz/hosts/Wingmakers/Ti...e%20Travel.html All the theories and information comes from here.

[Crucible]

You cannot travel in time because there is no such thing as time. We are a constantly changing. To travel back in time would mean to change everything to exactly the way it was at that point in the past. Even then you would not technically be travelling in time. You would just be changing everything. Example: If you changed the entire universe back to the way it was 10 years ago with your current self being there then you could say you went back in time in a sense. There would also be a new outcome of events with you there. If there is any form of time travel it means controlling the entire universe atom by atom. Again, my point is there is no such thing as time. We just exist in an ever evolving universe.

[bradybaker]

Actually you can travel backward and forward in time. Please refer to the "Time travelling" thread.

[Boof]

what i think after reading that is :

[Kaniaz]

Us humans have no idea what time is. The idea that we are perhaps living in our own fantasy world where we are important seems to be growing more competent to me. I'll go take the idea to school and show that art teacher that he is not king of the world. More happens than just inside your classroom. *runs off mumbling*

[Umbrasquall]

What does that guy think he's trying to do? Confuse people and make him/herself sound smart? He/she could have just done: Originally posted by dictionary.com A nonspatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future.

[Umbrasquall]

Wow the dude's crazy... he's talking about mental time travel on that page.