Now available in an updated addition: Integrating concepts of time derived from the physical sciences and world religions, The Becoming of Time examines various questions about time, including its origin, its relation to space and motion, its irreversible nature, the notion of timelessness, and the reality of the future. Lawrence W. Fagg contends that the use of spatial metaphors to describe time obscures its true character. He offers an alternative, non-spatial description of time by developing the concept of time as becoming. ”This lucid and wide-ranging study sets out to reconcile the objective and subjective perspectives in the investigation of the phenomenon of time. [Lawrence W. Fagg] . . . explores the wondrous subtleties of time that modern physics continues to reveal, but complements them with the rich insights of the spiritual perspectives on time that the world's major religions have to offer.”—Helga Nowotny, Former President, International Society for the Study of Time ”Lawrence W. Fagg has made a fundamental contribution to our reflection upon time. His work immediately takes its place as a basic text for students and researchers, from college to seminary and university levels.”—Philip Hefner, Director, Zygon Center for Religion and Science "Lawrence W. Fagg has made a fundamental contribution to our reflection upon time. His work immediately takes its place as a basic text for students and researchers, from college to seminary and university levels." "This lucid and wide-ranging study sets out to reconcile the objective and subjective perspectives in the investigation of the phenomenon of time. [Lawrence W. Fagg]...explores the wondrous subtleties of time that modern physics continues to reveal, but complements them with the rich insights of the spiritual perspectives on time that the world's major religions have to offer." "This lucid and wide-ranging study sets out to reconcile the objective and subjective perspectives in the investigation of the phenomenon of time. [Lawrence W. Fagg] . . . explores the wondrous subtleties of time that modern physics continues to reveal, but complements them with the rich insights of the spiritual perspectives on time that the world's major religions have to offer."--Helga Nowotny, Former President, International Society for the Study of Time Lawrence W. Fagg is Research Professor in Nuclear Physics at the Catholic University of America. He is the author of Electromagnetism and the Sacred: At the Frontier of Spirit and Matter and Two Faces of Time . The Becoming of Time Integrating Physical and Religious Time By Lawrence W. Fagg Duke University Press Copyright © 2003 Duke University Press All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-8223-3144-5 Contents Preface, Part I Thinking About Time, 1 Time: A Two-Fold Mystery?, 2 Philosophers Thinking About Time, Part II Time in Our Cosmic Cocoon, 3 Einstein, Time, and the Speed of Light, 4 Time and the Quantum, 5 Timing and Sensing Our Cocoon through Electromagnetism, 6 Probing Beyond: Spiritual Perceptions of Our Cocoon's Temporality, Part III The Nature of Time, 7 Did Time Begin?, 8 Time and Motion, 9 Irreversible Gauges of Time, 10 Time, Space, and the Dynamic World: The Spatialization and Liberation of Time, 11 The Moment: Increment of Time and Space, 12 Timelessness, Part IV What will Time Tell?, 13 Time in The Cosmic Future, 14 A Time to Die, 15 How Real the Future?, Part V Time, 16 Time: A Duality or Unity?, 17 What is Time?, Bibliography, Index, CHAPTER 1 Time: A Two-Fold Mystery? "Time is the One Essential Mystery." —Jorg Luis Borges Time as a Duality Despite oppressively hot summers, messy winters, and a frenetic lifestyle, Washington, D.C. has its moments. At least it has for me. It was a soothing spring morning some years ago. I had just missed the Metro; it would be a five or ten minute wait for the next train. I put aside the reading material with which I usually reinforce myself, and simply sat. Letting myself drift to this and that, I happened to look down at my watch with its second hand spastically jerking ahead in one second increments. Somehow it reminded me of a Caribbean break dancer. But at the same time as this precise ticking was going on, I became aware of my presence within the enfolding presence of the budding trees surrounding the station. My living moment, as I felt it, was different. It was smoothly, gently, indistinguishably succeeded by the next moment, and the next. I could only diffusely record a given moment, then in the gliding procession of succeeding moments it drifted into the past. This dual experience of objectively observing the measured precision of a timepiece and subjectively sensing the living moments with no clear markers to separate them, capsulizes one of the apparent paradoxes characterizing contemplation about time. It serves as a doorway, opening to awareness of the essential mystery of time. Aspects of this dual