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Assessing time as an illusion of the human brain

by Algy Moncrieff

Created on: December 22, 2006   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

That's a hard one. It seems that is is perfectly possible to argue either way, so I will just leap in and then see what happens...

Ok, first assuming it IS an illusion. Arguably, everything that comes out of the human brain is an illusion - how do you know that the world exists? Well, your senses tell you...and what do they report to? The brain. Ah. Well, there you go, if everything is an illusion like "The Matrix", then time must be an illusion too.

I doubt that everything is though. And time might actually exist anyway. So let's assume that everything does exist. Well then, next we need to work out what on earth time actually is. Time is...time. Right...I think time is the progression and aging of life, the universe and everything. That'll do for now.

Does this mean that it exists? Well, as a fourth dimension it is certainly less tangible than length, width and depth. But on their own, these things are not tangible either. You can't have one dimension.

It takes 'time' to do things. So in the human definition of the word, time is not an illusion, just as say the laws of science aren't an illusion, but are somewhat intangible. But time in itself? Does time 'pass' or are we just existing and...taking time over doing things.

There you go, I think I've proved it. Time is not an illusion of the human brain...assuming that this computer and this room and my body and so on are not illusions too.

Which is perfectly possible, but for another...ha...time.

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