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Chapter 1: Understanding Aboriginal Australians
The Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia have a remarkable history, having lived on the continent for over 40,000 years. Evidence from the Willandra Lakes Region, including the remains of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady, attests to this enduring presence. Despite not developing agriculture or the wheel, Aboriginal culture remains distinct and rich.
As noted by W.E.H. Stanner, an esteemed anthropologist, in his influential 1938 essay, "The Aborigines," these people managed to thrive across an entire continent without the tools many societies consider essential. They established extensive trade networks, exchanging surplus items, which indicates a sophisticated societal structure that allowed them to produce goods beyond mere survival needs.
Contrary to the common misconception that they were always on the brink of starvation, Stanner observed that the Aboriginal people found joy in a simpler existence, one that was less focused on material wants. Unfortunately, with the arrival of colonizers, they faced severe mistreatment, leading to a dramatic decrease in their population—from approximately 300,000 to around 50,000 during Stanner's time.
Dreaming and the Concept of Everywhen
Stanner articulated the concept of Dreaming as timeless, stating, "One cannot 'fix' The Dreaming in time: it was, and is, everywhen." This idea conveys that Dreaming exists in a perpetual present, encompassing all moments and places.
Stanner grappled with why the term "Dreaming" resonated with Aboriginal people, believing it represented a connection between their minds and the mysteries linking past and present. For Aboriginal Australians, Dreaming holds the answers to fundamental questions of existence. It encapsulates the essence of what has been and continues to be. Thus, the Dreaming is a continuous thread throughout time, with its core essence remaining unchanged despite differing circumstances.
In Aboriginal culture, the boundaries between identity and the natural world are fluid. A person's name is deeply intertwined with their being, and even elements of nature, like a totemic tree, can represent familial connections. This fluidity challenges traditional Western notions of time and space.
The concept of Everywhen, as Stanner noted, diverges significantly from Western philosophical ideas. As expressed by Muta, a Murinbata, "White man got no dreaming." Everywhen also challenges the Western idea of "Now," suggesting that past moments can re-emerge within the present.
Chapter 2: Time in Physics and the Nature of Now
Time differs fundamentally from other physical measures like length and mass. While these are quantified using standardized metrics, time is inherently tied to the earth's movements.
Moreover, time can be perceived in two ways: as "Objective time," marked by clocks, or as "Duration," a concept introduced by French philosopher Henri Bergson. These two interpretations highlight the complexity of time, as our perception can vary based on emotional states.
In the realm of physics, time is often treated as a fixed interval, such as seconds or hours, but this notion neglects the subjective experience of time.
The Dilemma of Now
Before falling seriously ill, Albert Einstein shared his concerns about the nature of "Now" with Rudolf Carnap, a notable philosopher. Einstein recognized that "Now" is a uniquely human experience, distinct from the past and future, and was troubled by the idea that it may elude scientific explanation.
Carnap countered that the sequence of events could be framed within physics, while the psychological aspects of time pertain to human experience. Einstein, however, found this explanation lacking.
Physicists Sabine Hossenfelder and David Mermin suggest that the issue of "Now" may not even exist as a problem. Hossenfelder proposes that Einstein conflated subjective experiences with the objective progression of time. She presents a mathematical function that illustrates how memory influences our perception of "Now."
As time progresses, the function f(T,t) illustrates how memory affects the experience of "Now." The moment of "Now" occurs when T-t=0, indicating a subjective experience based on individual memory.
Mermin echoes this sentiment, stating that one's remembered past culminates in a fleeting "Now," emphasizing its inherently subjective nature.
The Reductionist Approach
Critics argue that equating "Now" to mere memory is overly simplistic. Is "Now" merely a recollection, or does it encompass a more profound feeling? I contend that Einstein's "Now" transcends the simplistic definitions offered by others.
Does "Now" represent a Bergsonian duration? If we redefine "Now" as starting at time T and extending a few milliseconds later, we encounter the complexities of subjective experience. For instance, if I am driving at 50 km/h while my counterpart is on a train traveling at 300 km/h, our perceptions of "Now" diverge.
Mermin asserts that when operating within the same frame of reference, both individuals should observe "Now" simultaneously. Yet, the subjective experience remains unique, influenced by individual circumstances.
This illustrates that "Now" cannot be uniformly quantified, as each person's experience is fundamentally different.
Libet's Experiment and the Question of Now
To explore the nature of "Now," we can reference Benjamin Libet's groundbreaking 1983 study. In his experiment, subjects were asked to report their awareness of a stimulus applied to their hand, revealing striking discrepancies between the actual stimulus and their perception of it.
The results indicated that the subjective experience of "Now" is complex and deeply rooted in neuronal processes.
Everywhen and the Concept of Now
As Stanner described, Dreaming relates to a state of consciousness devoid of physical constraints, while "Now" is an individual's feeling about time. Both concepts transcend objective time, allowing for an infinite number of "Nows" to exist simultaneously.
Through the lens of Dreaming, Everywhen encapsulates all the "Nows" experienced by Aboriginal people, intertwining their collective consciousness in a timeless continuum. Thus, Einstein's assertion that "Now" exists beyond scientific scrutiny holds true, much like the Dreaming, embodying concepts that resist analytical reduction.
Acknowledgements
I first encountered the concept of Everywhen through a review by Professor Rodney Nillsen from the University of Wollongong. I am grateful for his insights.
Bibliography
Carnap, R. (1963). The Philosophy of Rudolf Carnap, ed. P. A. Schilpp, Open Court, La Salle, IL.
Libet, B., Wright Jr., E.W., Feinstein, B., & Pearl, D.K. (1979). Subjective referral of the timing for a conscious sensory experience, Brain, 102, pp. 193–224.
Libet, B., Gleason, C.A., Wright Jr., E.W., & Pearl, D.K. (1983). Time of conscious intention to act in relation to onset of cerebral activity (readiness-potential), Brain, 106, pp. 623–42.
Nillsen, R. (2023). A Review of Everywhen: Australia and the language of deep history, Ann McGrath, Laura Rademaker, and Jakelin Troy (eds), the Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, volume 109 (2), pp. 217–218.
Stanner, W. E. H. (1979). White man got no dreaming, ANU Press, Canberra, Australia.
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