Psychological Effects of Time Travel

[Num7]

Humans are 3D creatures. We can experience the 3 dimensions of space in near-total freedom. In other words, when our surrounding medium and gravity allow it, we can move up/down, left/right, and forward/backward freely, by our own will and means.

What about time, the 4th dimension? Well, we are indeed able to experience it. But we experience it a single slice at a time. Each slice is a unique moment in time, also known as Now.

What if humans aren’t meant to experience time other than one slice at a time? What if moving in any other fashion in this dimension, causes irreversible harm to our body and psyche?

Maybe the human brain isn’t meant to process, experience, and consider time in fashions other than slice by slice, moment by moment… Now by now.

What are your theories?

 

[Classicalfan626]

I think that there are certain powers that be who have put humans in a sort of matrix, where people can only use a small percentage of their brain's potential power. Imagine how the human race would be if and when they are able to use 100% of their brain's potential power! Then traveling through time would not be a problem for us at all!

 

[RainmanTime]

we can move up/down, left/right, and forward/backward freely, by our own will and means.

I highlighted the word move here because once you introduce that concept to the 3-dimensional foundation you began your post with, you have now (possibly inadvertently) included time in the mix. Motion cannot exist without time. Therefore, not only does the decision of when/where/how to move involve the aspect of time, but the actual physical motion itself (and what causes that motion) is now inextricably linked to time.

One can prove this by looking at any and all systems that humankind has ever devised to measure time. Every single last one of them is founded upon the Yin/Yang precepts of Matter in Motion. In fact, in the systems engineering and architecture courses I teach, I show how the mathematics of the vector operations (truly tensor operations, which are higher rank order vectors) dictate how any such system works. The vector cross product can be used to therefore define Time as:

Time is the vector cross product of some form of Matter taking on some form of Motion. Or in equation form:

Time (a tensor quantity) = Matter X Motion (That X is the vector/tensor cross product, not merely scalar multiplication).

Based upon these mathematical truths, Time is not really a 4th, separate dimension. Rather, Time is actually a tensor manifold that results from the continuous Motion of Matter upon the vector sub-space we call Space. The most accurate way to describe these in an integrated form is what I call Massive SpaceTime, which is a 9 dimensional tensor construct whose primary metric (means of measurement) is Energy.

RMT

 

[Num7]

This is interesting and you're right. This movement takes place over time, therefore, it's not solely happening across space, but also across time. I didn't envision it this way when I wrote my original post. Good catch!

Based upon these mathematical truths, Time is not really a 4th, separate dimension. Rather, Time is actually a tensor manifold that results from the continuous Motion of Matter upon the vector sub-space we call Space.

That's a pretty good way of putting it. Given that, how would time travel be explained using that reasoning?

Cheers!

 

[Prez]

Taking a more philosophical approach. Humans are one of the few sentient species capable of Chronosthesia. Indeed, our perception of time is lagging ~10ms and is really just slices of universe stringed together by our brains. Doesn't mean time doesn't exist, nor that humans can't / shouldn't perceive it. I'd actually wager it's the opposite, and that we're rather lucky to be such slow moving electromagnetic waves. The ability to model realities in our heads & replay events or forecast things that haven't happened yet are yet further evidence to humans "mindspace" is not within the 3+1 dimensions.