Time

Q&A with Bernardo Kastrup

Time
Photo by Kunj Parekh / Unsplash

"What then is time? If no one asks me, I know: if I wish to explain, I know not" - Saint Augustine

What is time? Where does it go? How come I never have enough? Time has a way of humbling both the mystic and the mathematician.

In this session, we consider its significance and implications within idealism, and our very experience of time.

Below, we welcome your questions and curiosities, and links to resources that might interest other members.

You may enjoy this related video from Essentia Foundation:

Going Beyond Einstein: Linking Time And Consciousness

"Many physicists maintain that the passage of time is purely a feature of mind, beyond physics itself, while others argue that it points to some new physical paradigm, perhaps associated with the marriage of relativity theory and quantum theory. Certainly, the status of time in any final theory of physics remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that a theory that encompasses time and mind will have to go beyond Einstein’s Block Universe."

And these thoughts from Bernardo and Dr Timalsina:

and this quote from St Augustine:

"For what is time? Who can readily and briefly explain this? Who can even in thought comprehend it, so as to utter a word about it? But what in discourse do we mention more familiarly and knowingly, than time? And, we understand, when we speak of it; we understand also, when we hear it spoken of by another. What then is time? If no one asks me, I know: if I wish to explain it to one that asketh, I know not: yet I say boldly that I know, that if nothing passed away, time past were not; and if nothing were coming, a time to come were not; and if nothing were, time present were not. Those two times then, past and to come, how are they, seeing the past now is not, and that to come is not yet? But the present, should it always be present, and never pass into time past, verily it should not be time, but eternity. If time present (if it is to be time) only cometh into existence, because it passeth into time past, how can we say that either this is, whose cause of being is, that it shall not be; so, namely, that we cannot truly say that time is, but because it is tending not to be?"

vintage brown and white watch lot
Photo by Heather Zabriskie / Unsplash

Asking questions

Everyone is welcome to propose questions using the comments section below.

Questions are selected based on relevance to the discussion and audience vote. As such, make sure to write your question so that most can understand what you mean!

  • Give it a short CLEAR TITLE in capital letters.
  • Write an optional short description of what your question is about.
  • Share further reflections below if you want, but if selected, aim for brevity when asking to help the flow of the discussion.

Also make sure to read the other questions and 'heart' the ones you are most curious about!

I look forward to seeing you on my dashboard soon,

With appreciation,

Amir

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