Nature of Space and Time

One important feature associated with a black hole is the considerable slow-down in physical time which takes place (relative for example to a far distant object). This is due to an associated massive increase in gravity in the vicinity of the black hole.

This again is replicated in complementary fashion with respect to the “dark night”, where likewise a considerable slow-down in psychological time takes place.

And this is due to a corresponding increase in psychological gravity i.e. grief, leading to an intense experience of loss.

As we know Einstein showed in his special and general theories of relativity, how both the speed of an object and also its acceleration (which he realised was equivalent to gravity) can lead to significant changes in the passing of physical time (relative to an outside observer).

Indeed when his secretary was repeatedly burdened for simple explanations of relativity, Einstein’s reputed response is often quoted as follows,

“When you sit with a nice girl for two hours you think it’s only a minute, but when you sit on a hot stove for a minute you think it’s two hours. That’s relativity.”

As I have stated before, what I find especially interesting about this quote is that it refers to the psychological rather than the physical aspect of relativity.

Though the two aspects are clearly related in a complementary manner, Einstein did not seemingly realise that this holistic connection strictly, undermined his deterministic view of science. 

As we know in physical terms, when an object approaches the speed of light, time passes more quickly (relative to a stationary observer).

Now in psychological terms the rapid passing of time experienced in psychological terms  when sitting with a “nice” girl can be attributed - literally - to the de-light that one thereby experiences.

When a high degree of mutual interdependence characterises a relationship between two people, a fusing of opposite polarities (in the two separate identities) takes place, leading to the psychological generation of spiritual light. And as one approaches ever closer to the “speed of light” in a purely refined intuitive manner, time no longer appears to pass and one experiences the present moment (continually renewed).   

So time and space are now understood in strictly relative terms that emanate from an absolute present moment.

It is somewhat the reverse that happens with respect to acceleration (which is equivalent to gravity).

Relating to my own experience of the “dark night”, one of the chief early features that I experienced was a dramatic slowing down in the psychological experience of time. Indeed for the first few months especially, each moment seemed to hang over me as if an eternity.

I later came to realise that this in turn was due to a dramatic intensification in contemplative type development that initially came into strong conflict with the deeply rooted phenomenal attachments of my previous life.

Thus as I felt increasingly separated from this former life through continual immersion in a dark and congested inner world, a profound form of grief was experienced (which was intimately related to the psychological experience of time standing still).

Though the darkness continued for some considerable time, the intense psychological awareness of time was to ease somewhat due to the fact that my habitual situation had now stabilised to a degree. So the intense acceleration experienced in the initial dramatic entry into the “dark night”, was no longer a key factor.

However the slowing down in the psychological experience of time is a somewhat universal feature of the experience of loss e.g. the death of a loved one.

Thus because of the loss of a shared intimate bond, through which our sense of interdependence with the world is experienced, the feeling of grief in inevitable, which again relates to the psychological notion of gravity with respect to the psychic material of our lives i.e. in the loss of what most deeply matters to us.

In more general terms, dramatic changes in the psychological experience of time (and space) likewise characterise all stress reactions and I believe that this key factor has been widely ignored in our attempts to understand the nature of stress.

So returning to the quote attributed to Einstein, when one places one's hand on a hot stove, this causes an immediate form of stress, where due to the pain involved, one experiences an intense moment of separation with one's whole world momentarily reduced to the confines of the space of one's physical body. And this separation from the world then causes an acute slowing down in the psychological experience of time. 

Though Einstein did indeed do so much to show the relative physical nature of space and time, I strongly believe that the most important aspect has been missed, which points to the truly relative nature of both their physical and psychological aspects.

A strong belief still conventionally exists in the linear nature of space and time i.e. the notion that events in both time and space move solely in a forward direction.

However this represents but a reduced view of such events whereby they are - misleadingly - understood externally in an objective manner as independent of the observer.

In truth an interactive relationship, entailing both external and internal aspects is always necessarily involved in a complementary manner. And when this relationship is explicitly recognised, then the nature of space and time is rendered as purely relative.

So again we have two aspects to this relationship.

From one perspective, we have the movement externally of events in physical space and time (with respect to the - relative - internal psychological observer).

Then equally from the complementary perspective we have the movement of recognition internally in psychological space and time (with respect to the - relative -  external physical events).

Now if we take the movement, as is customary, of the external events in physical space and time in a positive (forward) direction, then - relatively - the corresponding movement of psychological recognition with respect to these events takes place in a negative (backward) direction.

However if one now takes the recognition of such events in psychological space and time as moving in a positive (forward) direction, then the corresponding movement in physical space and time takes place - relatively - in a negative (backward) direction.

Thus when both physical and psychological aspects, which are relatively external and internal with respect to each other, are explicitly taken into account then all events are revealed as having both positive (forward) and negative (backward) directions in space and time.

Thus the physical and psychological aspects of space and time complement each other in both positive and negative terms.  

In other words the true nature of space and time is revealed as purely relative.

Furthermore the keen appreciation of such relativity takes place against a background in the absolute present moment.

Due to the growing dominance of scientific rationalism in the past few centuries we have been trained to look at reality - especially with respect to physical behaviour - in a reduced analytic manner where the (external) objective is viewed in abstraction from the (internal) subjective aspect.

However the neglected holistic dimension to such experience, which equates with true contemplative vision, views both external and internal aspects as comprising complementary aspects of an - ultimately - indivisible unity, in the intuitive appreciation of the interdependence of reality occurring in the present moment.

Then when we combine both analytic and holistic aspects, in the marriage of both rational understanding and such contemplative vision, then all events in space and time are understood to possess a strictly relative meaning emanating from the absolute present moment (continually renewed).

From a holistic perspective, accepted interpretation of reality (where the external is considered in abstraction from the internal aspect), is 1-dimensional in nature.

So what I have been illustrating i.e. where two poles are viewed as complementary opposites, constitutes 2-dimensional interpretation (in holistic terms).  

The two poles are + 1 and – 1 with respect to each other, which concurs with the two roots of 1. So the holistic notion of 2 (as dimension) relates to appreciation of the complementary understanding of + 1 and – 1 (where signs are interchangeable) whereas the corresponding two roots of 1 entail the opposite interpretation (where signs are non-interchangeable).

Thus understood correctly in 2-dimensional holistic terms, all events in space and time (with respect to their physical and psychological aspects) possess both positive and negative directions of movement.

From a universal perspective therefore space and time movements are rendered to be strictly relative (as phenomenal events emanating from the absolute present moment).

Before leaving, I will now deal briefly with the holistic meaning of 4 dimensions (which is of special importance).

So again, whereas two dimensions relates to positive and negative directions in real space and time, four dimensions relates to positive and negative directions with respect to both real and imaginary space and time.

Thus it is vital to appreciate in this holistic context the notions of imaginary space and imaginary time. .

Now whereas real events in space and time relate directly to the local appreciation of events in a direct conscious manner, imaginary events relate to their holistic appreciation in an indirectly conscious manner (that is directly expressive of unconscious meaning).

Whether we advert to it or not, in psychological terms, all phenomenal objects serve both a real and imaginary purpose.

For example say one is buying a new house! From one perspective the house can be viewed in conscious terms as an object in real space and time; however from another perspective the house can be viewed in unconscious terms as serving in some way the holistic desire for meaning (which then gets indirectly projected on to house as a means of fulfilling this desire).

Indeed this is even obvious from the manner in which one may refer to a new house as one’s “dream home”.

Generally speaking both the real and imaginary directions of space and time get considerably confused with each other in experience with a consequent reduced interpretation taking place in a solely real manner.

However with highly refined intuitive experience, phenomenal objects can briefly serve as archetypal expressions of a holistic meaning that is not confused with their conscious identity.

And when this happens - quite literally - such objects are thereby understood appropriately as existing in imaginary space and time.  

And just as with real experience, we can again distinguish two directions, external and internal which are positive and negative with respect to each other.

And this is strictly true of all phenomena, whether operating at the human conscious level or in physical terms.

For all objects have both external and internal aspects, in the manner they are related to other objects.

Likewise all objects have both local identities (as real) where their independent identity is exercised. However, equally all objects have a holistic identity (as imaginary) whereby their interdependence with other objects is expressed.  And this especially applies to the very nature of sub-atomic particles. For example virtual particles could equally be expressed as imaginary particles!

So when one looks at reality in an appropriate holistic 4-dimensional manner, phenomenal interactions, in physical and psychological terms are understood to occur in both real and imaginary space and time (with positive and negative directions).