What is time? Rather than something that ‘flows,’ a philosopher suggests time is a psychological projection

Is time real, or an illusion? The best answer may be neither: Both physics and philosophy suggest that time is a projection of the mind onto a timeless reality.

By: Adrian Bardon, Wake Forest University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: November 12, 2025

Words: 1,491

Last Updated: 1 day, 8 hours ago

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By Adrian Bardon, Wake Forest University

“Time flies,” “time waits for no one,” “as time goes on”: The way we speak about time tends to strongly imply that the passage of time is some sort of real process that happens out there in the world. We inhabit the present moment and move through time, even as events come and go, fading into the past.

But go ahead and try to actually verbalize just what is …

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