People always ask us, “How are you?” no one ever says, “WHEN… are you?” … mildly shattering the exigencies of our existence in time. How we feel is just as important as where and ‘when’ we are placed.

Time is one of the most subjective things in the world, that we have tried to objectify. Everyone’s perception of time is dependent on so many variables.

In the words of the famous Cyndi Lauper, “If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting, time after time” …got one thing correct – the fact that time is cyclical, it repeats itself. Seasons change; the earth rotates… I don’t know about the falling and catching part. Maybe she was referring to gravity.

When we are with the people we love or are enjoying something we do, time flies. When we are stuck in traffic or are nearing the end of the day at our boring desk job. Time doesn’t budge. Hence, we could postulate that time is subjective. Time seems to have its own moods and functionalities, inversely proportionate to amount of fun being had.

Time as art is music. Providing cues for instruments to come in and maintain rhythm. Our heart keeps our body’s pace. We also follow a Circadian rhythm of wakefulness and sleep.

Readjustments to various time zones around the world is called jet lag, not time lag. Implying that it was the plane ride that makes you disoriented and therefore not in equilibrium with the natives of that geographical area. Further implying that, aeroplanes could be nascent time traveling machines.

Time is different for different people.

Through history, across various cultures this concept has been consistently reinforced and revered — “Take positive actions now, to make the future better.”

The law of karma operates on top of the idea of time. Karma is the Hindu concept of action and reaction across time. Balancing sin and salvation. Teaching us to navigate the labyrinth of the world.

The Roman God Janus is depicted with two heads looking in opposite directions. He is the God of duality, doorways, transitions, time and gates; shown to be looking at the past and the future simultaneously. Suggesting that it in in the now that both these conditions exist.

The Norse Goddess of the underworld – Hel, is half blue and half undead, possibly denoting that she walks in between the realms of Midgard and Helheim; between life and death.

The Hindu God Dattatreya, is shown to be having three heads, representing the holy trinity of Bhrama, Vishnu and Shiva. Creation, preservation and destruction or the past present and future. Whose iconography is usually depicted with four dogs and a cow.

A highly common trope in a lot of mythology across the globe is that – time is a vast web of events and in-between them are gateways guarded by mythical creatures or hounds.

The Fool card in Tarot is a leap of faith into a new beginning, a transition represented by a boy near the edge of a cliff and a white dog by his side.

Cerberus, in Greek mythology is the three headed hound that guards the gates of Hell. Representing the transition of the boundary between life and death. The three heads here again, signify the past, present and future.

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The past present and future walked into a bar and caused a rift in the space time continuum. According to every sci-fi movie ever.

The idea of non-linear time is still quite at the fringes of society. So, this whole blog might seem a little out of whack for the uninitiated.

There has always been a before, a now and an after. The concept of many nows may seem ridiculous to most of us. We use the past to inform the present and make sound decisions for the future…in an ideal world.

Then again, what is an ideal world?

We are in a place where the laws of quantum physics are constantly shattering realities at an accelerated pace and thus, the conversation about time will continue…

Art by Rachita