Is time just a perception of potential possibilities?

[jaysteve]

This is a thought I had on a restless night and wanted to see what others thought about it.

what if all potentials of everything all dimensions, all states of matter, everything conceived or unconceived exist all at once, could our perception of what time is just be us seeing a sting of potencial possibilities. Because we can only see a small fraction of potencial of all things we precieve the potencials that we do see as flowing time.
I believe our perception of what time is to be like one of those books where you can choose your own path through it, just because your reading a specific chapter which leads you to a chosen path, all other parts and all other possible paths all exist in that same moment. Your just experiencing the book from one specific state.
We can only experience one state of an infinite number of potencial states at any given "time". This is why experience the world the way we do, and why we've come up with many of the theories that we use to explain the universe.

Any feedback would be great like I said I just want to see what others think of this.

 

[Steely Dan]

This idea exists already, sort of. This philosophy is built into the way that some people look at quantum mechanics. In particular, check out the many worlds hypothesis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Many-worlds_interpretation

 

[jaysteve]

Just took a quick look (im at work) but it looks interesting. thanks for the post

 

[jaysteve]

After a more in depth look. I see the similarities to my post. One thing I think they miss in this theory is that it assumed these superpositions are responding to us and our observations. They often state things like "wavefunction collapse" and the "cat paradox" to show how superpostions become one state (position). I don't believe any observation by us collapses the wave function or brings a superpostion of states to one state. A better question would be why do we see specific states of that superpostion when we observe them. More along the lines of Quantum decoherence where all states remain we just loose site of some due to interpritation.

 

[pmacias]

I find this thought intriguing and thought-provoking. Time is a complex concept and has been studied and debated by philosophers, physicists, and many other disciplines. While there is no definitive answer to what time truly is, there are many theories and perspectives that attempt to explain it.

Your idea of time being a perception of potential possibilities is an interesting one. It aligns with the concept of the multiverse theory, where all possible outcomes and realities exist simultaneously. In this theory, our perception of time is just a way of experiencing these different potentialities.

However, from a scientific standpoint, time is also closely tied to the concept of entropy, or the measure of disorder in a system. The arrow of time, or the idea that time flows in a specific direction, is largely due to the increase of entropy in the universe. This can be observed in many physical processes, such as the decay of radioactive elements.

Additionally, our perception of time is also influenced by biological factors, such as the functioning of our brain and the way we process information. This can vary from person to person and can also be affected by external factors, such as stress or medication.

In conclusion, while your idea of time being a perception of potential possibilities is thought-provoking, it is important to consider other scientific principles and perspectives as well. Time is a complex and multifaceted concept, and it is through continued research and exploration that we can continue to deepen our understanding of it.