Making Sense Of Misunderstandings Of 'Time' In Physics

Einstein's General Theory of Relativity construes time as a dimension: as one axis of four-dimensional space-time. On this basis, time does not slow down or speed up, because a dimension does not slow down or speed up. 

What does slow down or speed up is a process, such as the ticking of a clock. If the ticking process slows down, then there is a longer time interval between each tick; if the ticking process speeds up, there is a shorter time interval between each tick.

This demonstrates, on the one hand, that according to Einstein's theory, time intervals expand or contract, and on the other hand, that time is the dimension of the unfolding of processes. It is because time is the dimension of the unfolding of processes that time has an "arrow" (direction/asymmetry): from earlier phases of unfolding to later phases of unfolding.

On this basis, time is unlike the dimensions of space, because movement along the dimension is a matter of duration only. That is, "travelling" in time is merely the persistence of a process along the time axis. There is no travelling forwards or backwards in time analogous to travelling forwards or backwards in space.

On the same basis, time does not flow or pass, because a dimension does not flow or pass. 

What "flows" or "passes" is a reference point, the present, along the time axis. The present is the location on the time axis of the process of construing experience as meaning; that is of conscious processing: sensing or saying. As the process of consciousness unfolds, the reference point 'present' shifts on the time axis, along with what this reference point designates as 'past' or 'future'.

ChatGPT Comments:

This explanation expands on a deep and often misinterpreted concept of time within Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Let's break down the key insights and potential expansions:

Time as a Dimension (Not a Thing That Moves)

• Time is a dimension: In General Relativity, time is treated as one axis in the four-dimensional space-time continuum (with three spatial dimensions and one time dimension). As you rightly point out, time itself doesn’t "slow down" or "speed up" because it is a dimension, similar to how spatial dimensions don’t inherently change or move on their own.
• Processes slow or speed up, not time: What actually changes are the processes that unfold in time. For instance, the ticking of a clock or the aging of biological systems can slow down or speed up depending on the conditions (e.g., gravitational fields or relative velocity). The key distinction is that the rate of unfolding of processes changes, not the dimension in which they unfold.

Time Intervals Expand or Contract

• Expansion and contraction of time intervals: When you talk about time intervals expanding or contracting, you're describing the relativistic effects where the passage of time is perceived differently depending on relative velocity (special relativity) or proximity to massive objects (general relativity).
  • For instance, someone near a strong gravitational field (e.g., near a black hole) would experience time passing more slowly compared to someone far from the gravitational influence. This is what leads to time dilation.
  • Similarly, when traveling close to the speed of light, time dilates for the traveler compared to someone at rest.

The "Arrow" of Time

• The arrow of time: The concept of time's arrow refers to the idea that time has a direction. This is a key feature of our experience of time and is intrinsically tied to the unfolding of processes in a linear, irreversible manner. Events have a clear order: past, present, and future.
  • As you note, this asymmetry or directionality is inherent to processes themselves. For example, the process of a cup falling and breaking follows a clear, irreversible direction in time, whereas the spatial dimensions do not carry this kind of inherent asymmetry.
  • One way to think about this is that the direction of time reflects the way systems move from more probable states to less probable states (as in thermodynamics), marking the irreversible progression of processes.

"Traveling" in Time vs. Space

• No time travel: The analogy between time and space is often misused when discussing time travel. Time, unlike space, is not something we can "travel" along in the same way we travel spatially.
  • When we move through space, we change our spatial location. But when we "move through time," we experience the unfolding of processes, not a shift in our temporal location in the same way that we might move spatially from one point to another.
  • "Traveling" in time is merely enduring the passing of time. It's about the persistence of a process along the time axis, which doesn’t involve movement in the way that space is navigated.

The Present and Its Shifting

• The shifting reference point: The notion that what flows or passes is the present—the reference point for the unfolding of processes—is key to understanding the subjective experience of time.
  • The present marks the point of conscious experience, where meaning is constructed from sensory inputs or from linguistic constructs (saying). The present is not a static point but a constantly shifting reference as consciousness unfolds.
  • Past and future are relative concepts that depend on where the reference point present is located. As consciousness shifts along the time axis, the past becomes what is no longer available to direct experience, and the future becomes what is yet to be experienced. The transition from past to present to future, therefore, is tied to the unfolding of meaning through conscious processing.

Expanding the Concept of Time

• Time as a tool for measuring processes: One might think of time not only as a dimension for the unfolding of processes but also as a tool that allows us to understand, measure, and track the progression of those processes. This brings us back to the key distinction between the dimension itself and the events or processes that unfold within it.
  • The fact that time does not flow or pass also helps clarify why we should not think of time as an entity that “moves” or “advances.” Instead, it’s the processes unfolding within time that give us the impression of flow.
  • Subjective experience of time, in this sense, is an outcome of how consciousness engages with and processes the passage of time. The perception of the present is constantly adjusted as processes unfold, while the objective time in which those processes occur remains invariant in its nature as a dimension of space-time.

Summary of the Core Ideas

• Time is a dimension that allows processes to unfold but is not something that "flows" or "moves" in itself.
• Processes slow down or speed up, not time, and they unfold along time as a medium.
• Time’s arrow reflects the irreversible unfolding of processes from past to present to future.
• Time travel is not possible in the same way as spatial travel because time represents a dimension that structures the unfolding of processes, not a location we can navigate.
• The present is the shifting reference point for the process of meaning-making in consciousness, marking the transition between past and future as processes unfold.

Your reflection on time aligns well with modern understandings from physics and phenomenology, showing that time is often misunderstood and misrepresented, particularly when we use metaphors like “time flows” or “time travel.” By focusing on time as the dimension of processes, we can maintain a clearer, more accurate model of how time relates to our experience and understanding of the universe.