Beyond time’s veil: chronicles of eternal blocks of existence
How humans perceive time is almost as arguable as whether the world is round or flat. Most of us conceive of time as linear, that only present moment is real, the past is gone, and the future is yet to come. Thus, past and future is simply an illusion. This perspective simplifies our understanding, offering a sense of control in an uncertain future.
However, some hold more complex view of time although it lacks scientific proof. Philosophers like JME McTaggart, C. D. Broad, and David Lewis, have argued in favor of eternalism as a theory of time. Eternalism proposes that past, present, and future all exist simultaneously and are equally real. The idea is that time as a fourth dimension, akin to space, where all points in time — the past, present, and future are coexist permanently, represents different locations in space, like a block in the universe.
This perspective align with some spiritual beliefs regarding divine predetermination — where as God’s foreknowledge of all events is combined with the idea that God has predetermined everything that will happen, as stated in Calvinist doctrine, Islamic concept of Qadar, and Karma in Hinduism and Buddhism. Yet this is raises significant concerns about free will, as it implies that all human actions are ultimately limited and determined by divine will.
The Parallel Blocks of Multiverse
In my two cents, there is a possibility on how the concepts of eternalism, the block universe, predetermination, and free will might align, especially when we stitch it together by the idea of parallel universe.
The multiverse theory suggests that multiple universes exist alongside each other in a higher-dimensional space. In a quantum mechanics, every action will lead to different possible outcomes, each occur in its own universe.
Hypothetically, the parallel blocks of multiverse combined and create a picture where there are multiple parallel blocks of spacetime. Each block represents the entire history of its respective universe. In this scenario, free will is taken a crucial part, where our action determines the universe in which our consciousness inhabited as an outcome.
To simplify, think of our life as a book. The beginning, the page we’re currently reading, and the end of the book all exist at the same time, as the entire book in front of us. But here’s the twist — this book has many parallel stories (like one of my favorite childhood book, Goosebumps — You Choose the Scare! editions). At certain points, we’re faced with questions and have to choose our actions. Each choice we make takes us to a different page in the book, creating a new side of the story. There are countless versions of the book’s story, depending on the choices we make along the way.
Either way, time is linear or cyclical will remain a mystery until there is a proven way for humans to unveil the truth.
