The Precursor of Time: The Relevance of Space-Time and the Flexibility of Temporal Perception (EN)

Abstract 

This article explores the relationship between the subjective perception of time and the physics  of space-time, proposing that specific mental states can alter temporal experience without  contradicting fundamental physical principles. It analyzes how thought velocity and altered  states of consciousness might allow a “bending” of internal time, illustrated with a case of  personal experience suggesting subjective temporal dilation in urgent situations. 

Introduction 

Time and space have been fundamental concepts that have fascinated humanity across various  disciplines throughout history. The revolution in our understanding came with Einstein, who  demonstrated that time is not absolute but relative, forming along with space an inseparable  four-dimensional continuum (Einstein, 1916/2005). This conception of space-time transformed  our understanding of the universe but leaves an intriguing question open: Is it possible that  human perception of time can be altered according to the speed of thought or specific mental  states? 

This essay explores the possibility that time can be locally “bent” through elevated mental states,  without violating the chronological barriers established by theoretical physics, such as those  proposed in Hawking’s chronology protection conjecture (1992). 

Space-time as an Indivisible Entity 

Physical Foundations 

The first fundamental premise is that space cannot exist without time, nor time without space.  This interdependence, confirmed by modern physics, establishes that gravity curves space time and that phenomena such as temporal dilation occur at speeds approaching that of light  (Wheeler & Ford, 1998). As Rovelli (2018) points out in his analysis of the nature of time, it  does not flow uniformly but depends on the observer’s frame of reference. 

Temporal Subjectivity 

On a human scale, while clocks mark constant seconds, the internal experience of time  fluctuates considerably. Wittmann (2013) has documented how a minute of boredom can be  perceived as an hour, while hours of pleasurable activity can feel like instants. This evidence 

suggests that time is not a psychological constant but a malleable experience conditioned by mental and emotional states.

If human thought operates at different speeds—from deep concentration to meditative trance— could this directly affect our local perception of time? Studies in cognitive neuroscience indicate  that it can (Droit-Volet & Meck, 2007). 

Bending Internal Time: The Speed of Thought 

Altered States and Temporal Perception 

The proposed theory holds that the mind can alter its own temporal experience by accelerating  or slowing down its cognitive processing. Csikszentmihalyi (1990/2008) has extensively studied  the state of “flow,” where temporal perception is significantly distorted during high concentration activities. Empirical evidence of this alteration includes: 

• Athletes in “the zone,” where seconds seem to extend, allowing precise decisions and  movements (Dietrich & McDaniel, 2004). 
• Lucid dreamers, who experience dilated time within the dream, living what seems to be  hours in minutes of REM sleep (LaBerge & DeGracia, 2000). 

• Advanced meditators, who report the sensation of stopping time during deep states of  concentration (Lutz et al., 2008).

This does not imply physical time travel, but a flexibility of subjective time. Anil Seth (2021)  proposes that consciousness, including our perception of time, is fundamentally a form of  “controlled hallucination” generated by the brain. If we consider thought as energy and  information processed at variable speeds, then a hyperaccelerated mind could, in theory, “live  more” in the same external chronological span. 

Neuroscientific Basis 

Recent research in neuroscience supports this hypothesis. When we find ourselves in states of  high attention or imminent danger, the amygdala activates accelerated processing mechanisms,  causing more information to be captured and processed per second (Stetson et al., 2007). This  mechanism, evolutionarily advantageous, could explain why time seems to “slow down” during  emergencies. 

The Chronological Barrier and the Impossibility of Temporal  Regression 

Stephen Hawking (1992) postulated the chronology protection conjecture: the universe  fundamentally prohibits traveling to a time prior to the initial event of a system. This natural  prohibition prevents temporal paradoxes such as the famous “grandfather paradox” (Deutsch  & Lockwood, 1994).

Under this premise, if a person alters their temporal perception, they are not violating this  physical law, as they are not modifying external physical time, only their internal experience. As  Barbour (1999) explains in “The End of Time,” time could be considered a series of discrete  “nows” that our consciousness connects, creating the illusion of temporal flow. 

Case Study: The Eternal Minute Incident 

Context of the Event 

It was 10:00 p.m., the exact time my bus was supposed to depart from the terminal. However,  due to a deep group meditation in which I had been immersed that night, I completely lost track  of time. When I reacted, the outlook was desperate: I was 15 minutes from my house, where I  needed to pack my things, and from there, the terminal was another 5 minutes away. Adding  the time to collect my belongings and close the house, I needed at least 25 minutes to arrive…  and the bus should have already left. 

The Temporal Flow State 

Instead of giving up, I experienced a state of accelerated concentration, similar to what  Csikszentmihalyi (1990/2008) describes as “optimal flow,” but intensified by urgency. I never  looked at the clock again, didn’t calculate minutes, just acted with almost automatic precision: 

• The taxi arrived in seconds, as if I had summoned it with thought. 
• I packed in an instant, as if my hands knew exactly what to do without hesitation. • I asked the taxi driver to wait while I completed the remaining tasks. • The journey to the terminal occurred without apparent obstacles, as if the city had  cleared. 

Analysis of the Chronological “Miracle” 

Upon arriving at the terminal, against all logical expectation, the bus was still there, with just a  5-minute delay. According to the conventional perception of time, it would have been impossible  to perform all the necessary activities in the available interval.

Explanation: Unfolding of Individual Time 

This phenomenon can be interpreted under the theory of local time unfolding, considering  several factors: 

1. Alteration of temporal perception: In an extreme flow state, my mind operated at a  superior speed, compressing actions that would normally take more time, consistent  with Zakay’s (2014) findings on attentional modulation of time. 
2. Acceleration of internal time: As in the experience of lucid dreamers studied by LaBerge  and DeGracia (2000), my consciousness “bent” time to adjust to the immediate need. 3. Synchronicity of events: The bus delay coincided exactly with the time I needed. Jung  (1952/2010) might interpret it as synchronicity, while quantum physics would suggest  possible interactions between consciousness and reality, as proposed by Radin (2006)  in his controversial experiments on intention and physical systems.

Proposed Mechanisms 

To achieve this “bending” of internal time, the induction of a semi-trance or total trance state is  proposed where consciousness partially decouples from ordinary temporal rhythm. Scientific  literature supports that in this state: 

• The brain operates at different frequencies (theta/gamma waves), associated with  creativity and altered perception (Cantero et al., 2003). 
• Attention is intensely focused, reducing the perception of the passage of time, as  demonstrated by Zakay and Block’s (1997) experiments. 
• More efficient parallel neural processing is accessed, allowing greater cognitive speed  (Desimone & Duncan, 1995). 

Studies on psychedelic substances and advanced meditation techniques confirm that temporal  perception can be significantly distorted without external influences (Wittmann et al., 2007). 

Conclusions 

If we accept that time is relative in both physics and psychology, then each human mind can  be considered a precursor of its own subjective time. The ability to modify internal time through 

accelerated thinking or altered states suggests that consciousness plays an active role in the  construction of our temporal reality, as proposed by Hameroff and Penrose (2014) in their  theory of quantum consciousness. 

Although we cannot reverse cosmic time according to current physical laws (Hawking, 1992),  true temporal flexibility might reside in our capacity to expand or contract our mental present.  As Vrobel (2011) suggests in her work on temporal fractals, the perception of time might have  recursive properties that allow its subjective expansion or contraction. 

In the future, better understanding this connection between mental states and temporal  perception could revolutionize our relationship with time: not through physical time machines,  but through mastery of our own “time mind.” 

References 

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