Talking Time with Dr Manhattan

It is 2009. I am reading The Watchmen. Dr Manhattan fascinates me. He raises a point concerning the nature of time and how humans incorrectly perceive it. It takes me some time to catch on. He narrates his memories as present tense. He sees no sense in distinguishing time into a linear form of past present future. Everything happens now. Everything is happening now. My mind is attempting to enlarge itself to understand the concept. I finish the chapter. I close the book.

***

Time is simultaneous. This is the grand idea that has stuck with me ever since I read the Watchmen. It was like the pinnacle of my existentialist philosophising back in the day. You could even say it became the straw that broke the camel’s back. I have had to tuck the idea away for some time as my mind was unable to comprehend it. I hope one day to read some physics books that might shed some light but the questions that this has raised are too tough to really explain.


I guess the first thought was that assume everything is happening right now then does that mean we have a destiny? This thought falls apart as I try articulate it but do we control our decisions or are we simply a piece of consciousness floating through time? Are we just the universe learning how to observe itself?

What are memories? If the past is non existent then how come I can remember something that isn’t happening now? And yet memories are so fleeting. As time goes by (or as we go by time) they lose their strength. Consider back before conscious thought existed: Nobody had the capacity to remember yet existence still existed. But perhaps evolution is just a form of memory applying itself.

I did find myself delving into depths of infinite magnitude and it was for this reason I had to put the train of thought on the backburners. I did convey a lot of my thoughts into this scenario. The basis of my curiosity always came back to the role of consciousness and ego in the universe.

I could go on for a while in this vain but I just can’t see it accomplishing a lot. This is kind of like my therapy. An outlet for my desire to understand so it doesn’t bottle up and boil over or consume my every thought. I guess one last thought is that in the quest to understand the infinite we will inevitably fall short and either go crazy or start to rely on unconfirmed superstition. This seems like a fundamental stepping stone in religion, in that it is easier to believe in God (whatever you consider God to be – and yes I believe everyone has a God in some shape or form) and get on with it rather than keep searching the abyss for meaning.

"I'll never understand" - The Flaming Lips



Thoughts?

- Eden