All World
Gayatri Pariwar

Time is supposed to be absolute. It cannot be broken up in multiple components. It is a continuous flow. Separating the gigantic waves of an ocean is never possible for human power. Then, how could it be thought of for infinite flow of time? It is only for facilitating our realization of time that it has been specified in three different phases (intervals) with respect to the relative occurrence of the events around us. What has just happened or is happening is said as existing in the present. What has happened before becomes the past and what is yet to happen or is still unexpressed in the folds of time is termed as the future.   

If we think a little beyond or above this common practice of ‘grasping’ the flow of time, we would know that existence or occurrence of events has been happening since time immeasurable and will continue to happen till infinity. There is an eternal flow of time.  Because of the subliminal nature of time it is difficult to realize its flow. Expressing it via the flow of events and experiences is easier and is found useful in our day-to-day dealings. What has happened in the past was at sometime the present; what is currently happening is present; and what is going to happen will also sooner or later become the present. This way, everything exists in the present somewhere.  Because we observe it from one point and through the limited periphery of our experience, it becomes something of the past, present or future for us. If this point of observation were also flowing (with the speed of time), there would be no relevance of the past and future, everything will be in the present. Or, we can understand it this way also: if suppose, our vision expands so much that nothing is beyond its reach then everything will be happening in front of our eyes! Everything will be present. Thus, there will be an infinite present only, with no instances of the past or the future. However, this ‘infinite present’ is also defined in the sense of the flow of events. If we look at it independently, there will be nothing except the sublime flow of time in infinity. But it would be impossible for us to realize it in that case. So it would be better for us to talk in terms of the usual concept of the three segments of time – the past, present and the future.  

As this ‘division’ between the three segments is relative or imaginary, a natural question arises –whether and how it would be possible to traverse from one phase into the other? Can an ordinary mind enter the past or the future? Science answers this in the affirmative. It confirms multiple dimensions of time. If by chance or by making some specific efforts, one reaches the higher realms of time in connection with a thing, person or place, then he would automatically know all the past as well as the future of that particular thing, person or place. This way he would enter the past and future tense. How this would happen can be explained as follows. As most of us would normally conceptualise, the past, present and future segments of time exit in a linear sequence. In scientific terms, this would happen only in single dimension of time. In higher dimensions, there would be different realizations. There would also be a higher dimension in which the past, present and future will be overlapping or existing simultaneously. It is believed that these higher dimensions could be reached gradually from the well known three dimensions of space – namely, length, width and depth (or height). As these dimensions could be reached starting from the zero dimension, viz., a point, it should be possible to reach the fourth dimension from the three dimensions and so on….

Suppose a point is moving straight in the space then its path would make a line, which will have a single dimension – say length. If another straight line is also drawn similarly, or is there in the space then these two straight lines together would form a two dimensional plane. If such a plane is moved freely in the space, it would erect a three dimensional structure. In the reverse way,  if we go on taking the cross sections of a three dimensional object, we will be left with a two dimensional plane. Cutting this plane gradually will lead to a straight line and so on…. At the end of this reduction process, we would be left with a dimensionless point. This example illustrates that what we perceived as a three-dimensional thing is actually a cross section of some four dimensional thing. Similarly, specific movement of a three dimensional object or structure would give rise to a four dimensional entity. The latter kind of movement is difficult to be visualized as we are used to think of movements in the three dimensional space only and therefore feel that whatever structure the movement of a three dimensional object constitutes will only be three dimensional – may be bigger in size. In this context, the physicists define time-duration as the fourth dimension.

In other words, every three-dimensional thing is a projection of a four dimensional thing. Its three dimensions in space are visible or measurable as length, width and depth but the fourth dimension is invisible. In terms of the aforesaid example, if a three-dimensional object is moved in the direction of time, it would construct a four-dimensional entity.

The concept of ‘motion in the time-direction’ should be understood clearly. It should be noted that it is a direction different from that of the three spatial dimensions – e.g. upwards (downward) or lateral. One might doubt whether there could be other kinds of direction or motion? Yes, several such dimensions have been conceptualised and analysed mathematically. The possibility of more, yet unknown, directions of motion have been postulated in the modern science; for example, the speed, which is inherent in every animate and inanimate on the earth because of the velocity (of the pivotal motion) of the latter. What appears stationary to us here is in fact moving continuously with the velocity of the earth. But this is an invisible motion due to relativity. We may now understand that the three-dimensional appearance of any thing in this world is a cross-section (of a four-dimensional structure) along the fourth dimension – that of the ‘time duration’, which is invariably associated with the latent motion of everything on the earth.

Like the invisible motion induced by the pivotal motion of the earth there also are other kinds of invisible motions – e.g. the orbital motion of the earth around the Sun, that of the Sun around some other centre, the motion of the entire solar system, of the galaxies and so on….    As all these motions exist simultaneously but are different, so one can say that these are motions in different directions constituting the higher dimensions. Thus, there exist uncountable dimensions although we do not perceive them and cannot experience them. Note also that these dimensions are conceptualised with respect to some motion, which, in any direction, is realizable only in terms of time-interval. Thus, time-duration is the basic reference for these higher dimensions. These are therefore termed as different dimensions of time.

Another scientific quest arises here –– ‘duration’ is only one attribute of time. What are its other aspects? The experts of this field describe several possibilities; these include  – visible/invisible existence, change, repetition, etc. Of the immeasurable features of time, only duration is within the grasp of human-perception.

The appearance or occurrence of an event or an object etc is nothing but the notice or acquisition of its existence in our knowledge. It existed before as well; but in some invisible dimension or beyond our knowledge.  On the contrary, when something ends or disappears from our domain of perception, it becomes non-existent for us. But that again is only a relative term. What happens between this visible and invisible existence is beyond our knowledge but it indeed exists in the continuous flow of time. For example, the intermediate state between life and death is subliminal but its existence in time is the only possibility upon which the occurrence of birth and death would rely. Similarly, the process of change can be perceived only with respect to the span of time.

The changes experienced by us in the visible world are in fact an outcome, compounded effect or ensemble of uncountable invisible changes. For example, look at sunrise-sunset, seasonal variations, growth of a plant or a child. These are the events, which are the outcomes of variations in the tiniest existence (continuous flow) of time, but we cannot see the intermediate steps. The intermediate steps of changes exist in the four-dimensional domain (of the three dimensional physical space and time-duration as the fourth dimension). Time and its higher dimensions are therefore of utmost importance for absolute knowledge.   

If one can grasp or enter into the higher dimensions of time, nothing would be unknown or impossible for him. There is no relative segmentation of time for him; every thing exists, every event happens for him in the present. Knowledge of the past or the future is as natural for him as that of something before our eyes. Precognition and clairvoyance for him would be like normal vision for most of us.  But when and how could it be possible to reach the higher dimensions of time? It is said to be realizable only by spiritually evolved sublime consciousness.

In our dormant, segmented, fractured and deluded state of consciousness, we can’t even know the physical world around us. Intellectual refinement and scientific trenchancy may be of great help in deciphering the visible world or manifestation of Nature. But here, too, the results are seldom conclusive; there is always a place or need for reinvestigation. Then how could one know the higher dimensions of time by abstract mathematical formulae or scientific analysis alone? This would only remain an excellent mental exercise far away from the experience of reality. The natural realization of the sublime realms could be achieved only through pragy³ – pure, spiritually enlightened intelligence and sublime consciousness. Attempting to decipher people’s past or forecasting their future without the arousal of such higher and deeper levels of consciousness is nothing but a crafty play of words, a trick of brain washing or an entertaining magic show.  

Advent or arousal of spirituality begins with gradual transmutation of intellect and mental faculties into —atambhar³ pragy³ – that which exists in —ata, the ultimate realm of divine consciousness.  It is here that the human mind, the inner self, realizes absolute knowledge. The science of s³dhan³ holds the key to this sublime transmutation.  The attainments of spiritual awakening are supernatural, inexplicable. These could only be experienced through the deeper depths of the inner self. Whatever be our intellectual level and activities today, proceeding along the path of s³dhan³ will certainly elevate us towards higher and brighter realms of knowledge and experience. Eventually, it might enable us to peep into the higher dimensions of time and beyond into Eternity.

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