Are Time and Consciousness Interdependent ?

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A diagram of space-time looks like a three-dimensional drawing of a bell. See one at http://quothethesaint.tumblr.com/post/75541923759/ancient-media-the-big-bang

 

 The inside of the bell contains galaxies separated by space.  Oriented from left to right, with the “bell” laying on its side, the “Big Bang” event is the tiny point on the far left.  Proceeding from left to right, the “bell” begins to take shape, with an initial rapid expansion, then a more gradual expansion, and finally, an accelerated expansion.

This procession from left to right is intended to represent the progression of time, from its initial beginning, through the past, and into the present.  If one continues the progression, one can diagram the future.  However, the problem is that we do not know if the future will be of infinite duration, or if time will eventually end.

The progression of time, however, is itself a bigger problem.  The diagram is static.  It does not move; it does not progress.  It is all of one piece, one structure.  In the diagram, time does not pass.

If this is the case, if the entirety of time is static, then why does time seem to progress from past, to present, and thence to future?

The only explanation for this is consciousness.  Our consciousness experiences time.  More to the point, our consciousness experiences time as a flow—a flow of experiences—a memory of past experiences, the consciousness of the present experience, and the anticipation of an unknown future.

This explanation, however, does not fit the diagram.  The diagram illustrates all of time as a single, unchanging reality.  In the diagram, the absolute certainty of the past is mirrored as an absolute certainty of the future. 

We do not, however, experience time in this way.  To us, the future is uncertain, and it is uncertain because it can be, to use a word imprecisely—“changed.”  For example, if I predict that a certain course of my action will result in tragedy, I perceive that I can prevent that future tragedy by changing my course of action, through an effort of will.

If this is a correct interpretation of our experience of time, and if our experience is not an illusion, then it strongly implies that the diagram should not be static, but rather, dynamic.  It is almost as if time itself moves through an even larger reality of some sort, a reality that might be analogous to time.  In other words, our smaller subset of time moves through a larger set of time. 

Granted, that may not seem to make sense at first, but physics already postulates that our universe is part of a multi-verse.  Since our one universe incorporates space-time, then our space-time might be part of a larger framework of both space and of time.  Just as space is dynamic, so might also time be alterable.

Going further along this line of thought, we might characterize eternity as both being outside of time, and also, dynamic.  Life in eternity might be, not a boring experience of sitting on a cloud, playing a harp, but a joyful adventure which continually enriches our experience.

Of course this is a heavy dose of speculation, but I think, not unreasonable.

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