Simultaneous Time (simultaneous time) Clue Archive
1. What are Seth's specific claims about this concept? How many times was it mentioned, in which books, and did the wording change over the years?
Basic claims
- Seth holds that in deeper reality, the nature of experience is simultaneous, but the human organism in physical life excludes this simultaneity from awareness [unknown-reality-1 §683].
- Seth says: "For you, your past, present, and future are fused into one." [unknown-reality-1 §681] (Note: This sentence is quoted from Session 234 of 1966, cited in the 1974 archive.)
- Seth has stated that "there is no past or future, only the spacious present"; all past and future exist simultaneously at this moment for those who can view time as a fourth dimension [early-class-2 §?] (Note: This passage comes from an article written in 1970 by Arnold Pearson, a member of Jane's ESP class, paraphrasing Seth's views.)
- Seth mentions that when he "looks back" at himself, he does not need to spend "the same minute of time"—that is, he does not consume time linearly to review the past as humans do [unknown-reality-2 §744] (Note: This sentence is quoted from Session 14 of 1963, cited in the 1974 archive.)
Frequency and book distribution
- A total of 5 passages in the material mention "simultaneity" or related claims, found respectively in: the Session 681 notes of "Unknown" Reality Vol 1 [unknown-reality-1 §681]; the Session 683 text and notes of "Unknown" Reality Vol 1 [unknown-reality-1 §683]; Arnold Pearson's article (1970) in Early Class Sessions Book 2 [early-class-2 §?]; the Session 744 notes of "Unknown" Reality Vol 2 (citing Session 14) [unknown-reality-2 §744].
Changes in wording over the years
- Session 14 (1963): uses the metaphor "looking back does not require an equal minute of time" to describe Seth's own experience of simultaneous time [unknown-reality-2 §744].
- Session 234 (1966): states that "past, present, and future are fused into one" [unknown-reality-1 §681] (Note: This is an old passage quoted in the 1974 archive.)
- Arnold Pearson's 1970 article: paraphrases Seth as saying "there is no past or future, only the spacious present" [early-class-2 §?].
- Session 683 (1974): revised to "your organism excludes the simultaneous nature of experience" [unknown-reality-1 §683].
2. What mechanism did he provide?
The core mechanism of simultaneous time lies in the claim that physical time perception originates from the nervous system's sequential processing of event pulses, rather than from time itself being continuous. Seth points out that "time" exists as pulses leaping across nerve endings; it is not a simultaneous program, and therefore intervals must be experienced; past, present, and future appear convincing precisely because a temporal interval must exist between each perceptual experience [early-sessions-9 §426]. In other words, simultaneous time is itself the fundamental fact, while linear time perception is a distortion or "camouflage" of the underlying simultaneous reality imposed by the physical neural structure [early-sessions-9 §426].
Other personality structures do not require this materialized perceptual framework; they can perceive many events simultaneously, with almost instantaneous reactions; growth and challenge are measured not by achievement or development in time, but by intensity [early-sessions-9 §426]. Your past, present, and future may be fully experienced as "now" in those structures, or experienced as "past" by yet other structures; linear time is merely the surface thread along which you travel, above and below which lie countless other threads belonging to the same inconceivable fabric [early-sessions-9 §426].
From the standpoint of physics analogies, atoms can move in multiple directions simultaneously, and this capacity is associated with the concepts of simultaneous time and probability; the particles or processes by which electrons orbit atomic nuclei operate likewise [unknown-reality-1 §681]. Time reversal or particle symmetry, and the equivalence of space and time, are tenets of relativistic physics and quantum theory that also resonate with these ideas [unknown-reality-1 §702].
At the practical level, new beliefs in the present can alter the past at the neuronal level—because time is fundamentally simultaneous, present beliefs can indeed change the past; in healing cases such as the spontaneous disappearance of cancer, certain changes affect past cellular memories, genetic codes, or neuronal patterns, reaching deep biological structures of some past moment "in the present," thereby altering probabilities and eliminating the disease in both the present and the past simultaneously [personal-reality §654].
3. Are there observable inferences or explicit predictions (including time, quantity, conditions)?
The materials contain none.
4. Where did he say the science of his time was wrong, and in what direction should it look?
The main error of science regarding time is treating time as a linear, irreversible sequence, when "time is fundamentally simultaneous"; this erroneous understanding has led to fundamental misconceptions about space travel, cosmic evolution, and related matters [personal-reality §654, unknown-reality-1 §702]. Science's error is also reflected in the statement that "your present theories of cosmic expansion are wrong," because the expansion of the universe more closely resembles "the expansion of a dream" or "the growth of a thought" than an outward expansion in physical space [unknown-reality-1 §702, unknown-reality-2 §712]. On space travel, science is constrained by "the time factor involved," which severely impedes it; the correct direction is for scientists to be "forced to consider the possibility of telepathy as a means of communication," and ultimately to discover that "the space you know is a distortion," with interstellar travel achieved by "shedding the physical (camouflage) body," the vehicles being "the mobility of mind and psyche" [unknown-reality-1 §702]. Science should move toward accepting "atoms moving in more than one direction at the same time" and "a rich inherent basic unpredictability" as underlying principles of all reality systems; it should understand atoms in terms of "probability patterns," and take note of the association of "the atom's multidirectional capacity" with the concepts of simultaneous time and probability [unknown-reality-1 §681]. Regarding the relationship among past, present, and future, science should recognize that "a new belief in the present can cause changes in the past at the neuronal level" and accept that "present beliefs can indeed change the past," because "time is fundamentally simultaneous" [personal-reality §654].
5. What experiments or exercises did he suggest? What did Jane and Rob actually do and observe?
- Seth encouraged them to "try any experiments you want," calling it "homework" [early-sessions-1 §12].
- Seth suggested Jane do "psychological time" exercises in the morning, limiting each session to twenty minutes [early-sessions-4 §156].
- Seth mentioned that the capacity to train inner senses can, "to some degree," be developed through practice [early-sessions-1 §12].
- Jane and Rob actually conducted an experiment of inner sense one: Rob tried using his "inner eye" to go behind objects, imagining himself walking across a bridge and feeling the bridge surface, trees, and houses [Session 2, dreams-projections §2].
- While in his studio, Rob spontaneously had a vision of his brother Dick's bedroom from a past life in England, and immediately made a sketch [Session 2, dreams-projections §2].
- Jane and Rob performed a meditation experiment in a dark room using a red Christmas lamp and black cloth, placing Jane's wedding ring on it, but "nothing happened" [early-sessions-1 §12].
- While alone in the kitchen, Jane received a "psychic message" from Seth, then entered a trance state and began automatic channeling spontaneously [Session 2, dreams-projections §2].
- Rob had a spontaneous out-of-body projection, floating above his body, and tried using snoring sounds as propulsion [Session 3, dreams-projections §3].
- Seth commented on Rob's projection: Rob chose to try it after Jane went to bed, using Jane as a "safety guarantee," and noted that the sense of time might differ outside the body [Session 3, dreams-projections §3].
6. What supplements or contradictions are given by other concepts in the corpus related to this concept?
- Simultaneous time is closely related to the concept of "probabilities": as an artist, my intuitive reaction is to associate the atom's multidirectional motion with Seth's concepts of "simultaneous time" and "probability" [unknown-reality-1 §702].
- Simultaneous time echoes the concept of "multidirectional simultaneous motion" of electrons or particle processes, such as the claim that "atoms can move in more than one direction at the same time" [unknown-reality-1 §702].
- Under the framework of simultaneous time, the distinction between "past" and "future" dissolves: on a broader level, time is simultaneous, so those civilizations exist simultaneously with your own civilization [unknown-reality-2 §742].
- Simultaneous time is associated with the concept of "probable worlds": Atlantis exists both in your past and in your future; it is a probable world, and some of you will choose it from a model placed in your future's past [unknown-reality-2 §742].
- Related to simultaneous time is the concept of "implanting images from the future into the past": in your temporal terms, you implant images, stories, and legends that seem to come from the past into "any given time" from your "now," but they are actually like phantom images from the future, offered for you to choose to follow or ignore [unknown-reality-2 §742].
- Simultaneous time complements the concept of "time versions": more precisely, similar events are time versions of a larger event, and ordinarily you experience only one time version of any given action [dreams-evolution-2 §931].
- Simultaneous time implies that similar events in "future and past" can correspond at any given moment: at any given moment, psychological associations may bring you into correspondence with other similar events in a future or past incarnation [dreams-evolution-2 §931].
- Simultaneous time and reincarnation are mutually complementary: you always carry inner knowledge of countless available futures, and emotional life is enriched at certain levels by the unconscious recognition that those who loved you in the past or future are connected with you [dreams-evolution-2 §931].
- Simultaneous time provides the infinity of "event sources": at every moment you are offered a continuous stream of probable event sources from the past and future, from which you compose the various events of your lives and societies [dreams-evolution-2 §931].
- Simultaneous time is related to the experience of "dream states": in last night's dream state experience, Ruburt gained new evidence by directly witnessing partial environments of two other of his lives, and was shocked to realize that full dimensions of existence can continue to exist with such complete detail and depth simultaneously with his current life [dreams-evolution-2 §931].
- Simultaneous time is associated with the concepts of "moment point" and "spacious present": there is an association between my "moment point," the "spacious present," and what you call the "subconscious"; the moment point itself is part of the spacious present [esp-power §9].
- Under the framework of simultaneous time, there is no real distinction between "past" and "now": because there is no real past or now, yet there indeed exist infinities inward and outward, and actions within actions [esp-power §9].
- Simultaneous time relates to the perception mode of the "inner self": to the inner self, all personalities constituting it exist simultaneously; only the ego moves step by step from one moment to the next, like a person wading through puddles; only the ego is immersed in time [esp-power §9].
- Under the concept of simultaneous time, the "whole self" can perceive an infinite number of moment points simultaneously: the whole self can and does perceive countless such moment points at once [esp-power §9].
- Simultaneous time is consistent with the concept of "coexistence of present civilizations": your present civilization coexists with the ancient Sumerian civilization; your "now" and their "now" exist simultaneously [personal-sessions-2 §604].
- Simultaneous time implies that "intersection points" of space and time can be reached: just as you have learned to traverse roads through space, you have not yet learned to traverse roads through time at the conscious level; yet there exist intersection points in time and space that you have not yet recognized [personal-sessions-2 §604].
- Simultaneous time is consistent with the notion that "time is as reachable as space": you regard time as moving toward something, while space is relatively stable; therefore you have not thought of "arriving at" a time the way you arrive at a place; time actually explodes outward or extends in all directions, rather than flowing in a particular direction [personal-sessions-2 §604].
7. Questions not yet asked
- Seth claims that present beliefs can alter the past at the neuronal level; could an intervention experiment based on neuroplasticity time series be designed, using transcranial magnetic stimulation in healthy subjects to compare the belief-modification effects on memories of past events?
- Seth states that atoms can move in multiple directions simultaneously, which is related to quantum mechanical superposition states; could a double-slit delayed-choice experiment be designed to test whether observers' subjective beliefs about simultaneous time affect the statistical results of interference patterns?
- Regarding Seth's "spacious present," can the neural mechanisms of time perception in psychology be used, employing fMRI to measure prefrontal and hippocampal activity in meditators while experiencing the present moment, to verify whether the suppression of past/future memories conforms to his predictions?
- Seth believes linear time perception originates from the interval processing of neural pulses; could this mechanism be tested by comparing differences in neural pulse interval encoding between healthy individuals and patients with time perception disorders (such as time agnosia)?
Appendix: Claim List (for Phase C)
| id | claim | type | source |
|---|---|---|---|
| simultaneous-time-1 | In deeper reality, the nature of experience is simultaneous, but the human organism in physical life excludes awareness of this simultaneity. | ontological assertion | unknown-reality-1 §683 |
| simultaneous-time-2 | There is no past or future, only the spacious present; all past and future exist simultaneously at this moment. | ontological assertion | early-class-2 §? |
| simultaneous-time-3 | When Seth looks back at himself, he does not need to consume an equal minute of time as in human linear time. | ontological assertion | unknown-reality-2 §744 |
| simultaneous-time-4 | Physical time perception originates from the nervous system's sequential processing of event pulses, rather than time itself being continuous; the distinction among past, present, and future arises from temporal intervals between perceptual experiences. | mechanism description | early-sessions-9 §426 |
| simultaneous-time-5 | Because time is fundamentally simultaneous, new beliefs in the present can alter the past at the neuronal level, thereby changing probabilities and affecting the present. | mechanism description | personal-reality §654 |
| simultaneous-time-6 | Atoms can move in multiple directions simultaneously, and this capacity is associated with the concepts of simultaneous time and probability. | ontological assertion | unknown-reality-1 §681 |
| simultaneous-time-7 | Similar events are time versions of a larger event, and ordinarily only one time version of any given action is experienced. | ontological assertion | dreams-evolution-2 §931 |
| simultaneous-time-8 | There is an association between the "moment point" and the "spacious present"; the moment point itself is part of the spacious present, and the whole self can perceive countless such moment points simultaneously. | ontological assertion | esp-power §9 |
| simultaneous-time-9 | On a deeper level, time is simultaneous, so your civilization coexists with the Sumerian civilization, with no real distinction between past and present. | ontological assertion | personal-sessions-2 §604 |
| simultaneous-time-10 | Time explodes outward or extends in all directions, rather than flowing in a particular direction; one can "arrive at" a time just as one arrives at a location in space. | ontological assertion | personal-sessions-2 §604 |
| simultaneous-time-11 | Under the framework of simultaneous time, past and future are sources of probable events; at every moment you are offered probable events from the past and future to compose your life. | ontological assertion | dreams-evolution-2 §931 |
| simultaneous-time-12 | Time reversal or particle symmetry, and the equivalence of space and time, are scientific tenets that correspond to simultaneous time; science's treatment of time as a linear sequence is wrong. | methodological recommendation | unknown-reality-1 §702 |