Hidden Aspects of Time

In April of 1922, Albert Einstein and Henri Bergson famously disagreed in a debate on the nature of time. With the benefit of hindsight, the source of this conflict appears to be a dichotomy between the geometric views of time considered by Einstein and the subjective experience of it as duration adopted by Bergson. Is Bergson’s experienced duration identical with Einstein’s geometric time, or are they two separate entities that are merely correlated during life? If we assume the latter, how do we enquire into the nature of this relationship?

Relying on current research into the nature of space-time, this book posits that the physical world evolves in a predictable (unitary) way at the quantum level, and that this remains the case even under the extreme conditions of maximal gravitational collapse. Moreover, it appears that closed timelike curves are not admitted without the existence of exotic matter, which would otherwise compromise predictability. Turning to the philosophy of mind and psychical research, the book also examines the possibility that the relationship between experienced duration and geometric time can be modified.