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Time Explained: Exploring the World of Becoming
Time governs every heartbeat, every memory, every dream of tomorrow. Yet, what is it really? A river we drift through, or a fabric we weave ourselves?
In this book, Tenzin C. Trepp invites us on a journey through history, science, and culture to confront the mystery of time. From ancient civilizations and Indigenous worldviews to Einstein’s relativity and today’s cutting-edge physics, we discover that time is never just measured—it is lived, shaped, and endlessly re-imagined.
Combining clarity with depth, Time Explained makes one of humanity’s oldest riddles vivid, surprising, and profoundly relevant to our own lives.
In this book, Tenzin C. Trepp invites us on a journey through history, science, and culture to confront the mystery of time. From ancient civilizations and Indigenous worldviews to Einstein’s relativity and today’s cutting-edge physics, we discover that time is never just measured—it is lived, shaped, and endlessly re-imagined.
Combining clarity with depth, Time Explained makes one of humanity’s oldest riddles vivid, surprising, and profoundly relevant to our own lives.
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Published December 1, 2025
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About the author
Tenzin Trepp
6 books3 followersI am a philosopher dedicated to exploring the fundamental questions of existence, time, and consciousness, focusing on how our minds shape the reality we experience.
My central contribution is Existential Realism (ER), a unique framework for understanding time. I propose that only the present moment—what is immediately happening—truly exists. However, the past and future are undeniably real because they are essential components of our world: the past dictates causal connections, and the future drives our predictions and intentions. ER provides a satisfying way to ground our reality in the here-and-now while respecting the profound influence of everything else.
This philosophical work is thoroughly detailed in my books, Existential Realism (2025), which demonstrates how ER offers powerful, fresh solutions to classic conceptual problems in both physics (from relativity to quantum theory) and cognitive science.
Beyond the metaphysics of time, a major part of my research explores the deep connections between philosophy and cognitive science. I'm intensely fascinated by the architecture of the subject: how our minds, rather than passively receiving data, actively construct our experience of the world and our 'self.'
I investigate how core cognitive processes—like the brain's reliance on predictive modeling, the role of the body in cognition (embodiment), and emotional life (affective regulation)—are not just added features, but are foundational to how we perceive time, personal identity, and our sense of agency (our feeling of being in control).
My central contribution is Existential Realism (ER), a unique framework for understanding time. I propose that only the present moment—what is immediately happening—truly exists. However, the past and future are undeniably real because they are essential components of our world: the past dictates causal connections, and the future drives our predictions and intentions. ER provides a satisfying way to ground our reality in the here-and-now while respecting the profound influence of everything else.
This philosophical work is thoroughly detailed in my books, Existential Realism (2025), which demonstrates how ER offers powerful, fresh solutions to classic conceptual problems in both physics (from relativity to quantum theory) and cognitive science.
Beyond the metaphysics of time, a major part of my research explores the deep connections between philosophy and cognitive science. I'm intensely fascinated by the architecture of the subject: how our minds, rather than passively receiving data, actively construct our experience of the world and our 'self.'
I investigate how core cognitive processes—like the brain's reliance on predictive modeling, the role of the body in cognition (embodiment), and emotional life (affective regulation)—are not just added features, but are foundational to how we perceive time, personal identity, and our sense of agency (our feeling of being in control).
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 3, 2025
Okay, so I just finished reading this book about time, called Time Explained, and seriously, if you ever thought you understood what time is, prepare to feel a little confused again. In a good way, though.
The whole thing starts with this wild story about a guy in a car crash where everything seemed to go into extreme slow motion—like, he had all the time in the world to watch the crash happen, even though by the clock it was just a few seconds. That alone hooks you because it's like, okay, time is clearly not just a ticker on a wall.
What's cool is how the book hops around. It goes from explaining the physics of time, like Einstein showing us that time is actually elastic and can be warped by speed and gravity—not the absolute, steady thing we were taught. But then it switches gears completely to culture. It brings up the Pirahã people in the Amazon who basically only think about the present and don't plan for the distant future, which is pretty mind-blowing. And apparently, the Aymara in the Andes see the past as ahead of them because they can see it, and the future as behind them because it's unknown. What?!
Honestly, it just makes you realize that time is less a universal law and more a personal, cultural, and even psychological experience. They cover all the bases: science, philosophy, history, ancient civilizations like the Mayans and Babylonians—it's super comprehensive without feeling like a textbook.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a straight, simple answer to "What is time?" you won't find it, because that’s the point—it's the ultimate unsolved riddle. But if you want a fascinating deep dive into why we're all so confused about it and what it means for how you live your own life, you should definitely check this out. It’s a great read.
The whole thing starts with this wild story about a guy in a car crash where everything seemed to go into extreme slow motion—like, he had all the time in the world to watch the crash happen, even though by the clock it was just a few seconds. That alone hooks you because it's like, okay, time is clearly not just a ticker on a wall.
What's cool is how the book hops around. It goes from explaining the physics of time, like Einstein showing us that time is actually elastic and can be warped by speed and gravity—not the absolute, steady thing we were taught. But then it switches gears completely to culture. It brings up the Pirahã people in the Amazon who basically only think about the present and don't plan for the distant future, which is pretty mind-blowing. And apparently, the Aymara in the Andes see the past as ahead of them because they can see it, and the future as behind them because it's unknown. What?!
Honestly, it just makes you realize that time is less a universal law and more a personal, cultural, and even psychological experience. They cover all the bases: science, philosophy, history, ancient civilizations like the Mayans and Babylonians—it's super comprehensive without feeling like a textbook.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a straight, simple answer to "What is time?" you won't find it, because that’s the point—it's the ultimate unsolved riddle. But if you want a fascinating deep dive into why we're all so confused about it and what it means for how you live your own life, you should definitely check this out. It’s a great read.
December 4, 2025
Time Explained isn't just a book; it's an exhilarating intellectual journey that dismantles our most fundamental assumption: the linearity of time. Forget simple physics—this is a masterclass in interdisciplinary thought.
The author brilliantly uses gripping personal accounts, like the opening car crash narrative where a witness experiences time as a rubber band, to springboard into complex ideas. You'll quickly move past Einstein's relativity (which is explained with refreshing clarity) and into the fascinating realms of cognitive psychology and cultural anthropology.
The true genius lies in its global perspective. Discover how the Aymara of the Andes conceptualize the past as "in front" of them, or how the Amazonian Pirahã live outside of temporal planning. It reveals time as an artifact of human consciousness, shaped by language and culture, not just a universal clock.
For anyone who loves books that connect the dots between science, philosophy, and the human condition, this is essential reading. It won’t give you the answer, but it will enrich your questions. A truly thought-provoking masterpiece.
The author brilliantly uses gripping personal accounts, like the opening car crash narrative where a witness experiences time as a rubber band, to springboard into complex ideas. You'll quickly move past Einstein's relativity (which is explained with refreshing clarity) and into the fascinating realms of cognitive psychology and cultural anthropology.
The true genius lies in its global perspective. Discover how the Aymara of the Andes conceptualize the past as "in front" of them, or how the Amazonian Pirahã live outside of temporal planning. It reveals time as an artifact of human consciousness, shaped by language and culture, not just a universal clock.
For anyone who loves books that connect the dots between science, philosophy, and the human condition, this is essential reading. It won’t give you the answer, but it will enrich your questions. A truly thought-provoking masterpiece.
December 5, 2025
Reading this book made me slow down and rethink the way I experience my daily life. Instead of treating time like a strict schedule or something I’m constantly chasing, the author helped me see it as something fluid, meaningful, and deeply human. It’s the kind of read that leaves you looking at your everyday life with a little more wonder and curiosity.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews