QUANTUM WISDOM:
An Inquiry into the Nature of Time
Live Online Lectures & Discussions Between Sessions
with physicist Sarbmeet Kanwal, PhD
4-wk Course that took place in summer 2023!
The universe began as an eruption of space, time, matter, and energy out of an all-nourishing abyss.
— Brian Swimme
Explore a New Story Perspective on TIME
The relentless clicking of a clock’s hand is what informs our modern-day concept of time. In the new story, time doesn’t arise from the robotic crunching of steel gears; it flows from the excited fluctuations of quantum energy, the ground of all being. Time cannot be confined to the linear drumbeat of hours and minutes; it roams free in the ever-widening rhythms of cosmic evolution. Instead of striving to beat the clock, we must learn to revel in the cosmic power of time.
Time is not a blank canvas on which change leaves its indelible tracks. Unstoppable ongoing change comes first; humans use the concept of time to organize its vicissitudes!
— Sarbmeet Kanwal
Explore the Wisdom that flows from a deepening understanding of TIME!
Quantum Gravity is the new science that explores the origin of time. Time, it seems, is woven out of a dancing relationality between quantum granules in spaceless and timeless emptiness. Change is fundamental; time helps us comprehend it.
“Explain time? Not without existence. Explain existence? Not without time. To uncover the deep and hidden connection between time and existence […] is a task for the future.”
— John Wheeler, American physicist
Videos below are interviews with Dr. Kanwal about last year’s Quantum Wisdom course.
Bolster your understanding of four Deeptime Principles . . .
- Context: Notice how the old story separates us from the natural rhythms of the universe – the new perspective embeds us in cosmic flow.
- Matrix: Understand that relationality is based on place and time together; they cannot be disunited. Every entity in nature has a story to tell.
- Subjectivity (self organization, interiority): Acknowledge the role of time as a driver of cosmic evolution; know that time works through each of us to generate the future.
- Action: Learn what it means to free ourselves from a limiting narrative of past and future so we can connect to the source of our being, the timeless whole from which we emerge, and open vast new possibilities.
We should consider learning to stand in our present circumstances and finding the courage to ask, “What is time for?” And then to take the time to listen and to act. — Enuma Okoro, American writer
Session Descriptions
Session 1 (Jul 12/14), Context: From linear to spiral time – Nature knows time only through the nested rhythms and cycles of creation, not as the rolling succession of hours and minutes we make of it. Realizing this truth frees us from the tyranny of Chronos time to experience the beauty of Kairos moments.
Session 2 (Jul 19/21), Matrix: From universal to relative time – Everything in the universe has a story woven in place and time. To escape the momentum of linear time we must learn to acknowledge and relate to these place-time stories. The universe holds us within holons of not only deep place, but also of deep time.
Session 3 (Jul 26/28), Subjectivity: From passive to active time – Einstein showed us time is not a by-stander witnessing the march of events; it has agency. Time molds and corrals matter into new communities. Instead of rushing to get ahead of time, we must allow its cosmic powers to work through each of us.
Session 4 (Aug 2/4), Action: From limiting to liberating time – Latest research suggests that like matter/energy, space/time emerged from the fecund nothingness of a quantum field. Our source is placeless and timeless. To free ourselves from past conditioning and future angst is to connect with source through transcending time.
Photo courtesy of TimeTrace. (https://www.timetrace.com/)
Reading Materials
A brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking
The Order of Time, by Carlo Rovelli
Saving Time – Discovering a life beyond the clock, by Jenny Odell
Syntropy – The Spirit of Love, by Ulisse Di Corpo and Antonella Vannini
Learn Four Key Science Principles:
1) Quantum Uncertainty Principle:
At the quantum level of reality, there is always some uncertainty in the measured value of a physical property. Motionlessness implies exactly zero speed and is therefore impossible. Change is ongoing and unstoppable. The universe fluctuates!
2) Special Theory of Relativity:
Absolute space and universal time do not exist. Space and time are relative; they have no meaning other than in the context of how one entity relates to another. Space and Time are unified; one person’s space can be another person’s time and vice versa.
3) General Theory of Relativity:
Space and time are not passive entities that make up the stage on which motion traces its arc; they have real agency. Matter and energy curve and warp space-time and space-time curvature creates the channels along which motion proceeds.
4) Quantum Gravity:
At scales of length much smaller than atoms, space turns into a quantum foam of tiny fluctuating granules. Time emerges out of the relationality between adjacent granules of space. The ground of all being is spaceless and timeless.
You can:
- get your questions answered by Dr. Kanwal and interact with other participants between sessions in an online course discussion, and
- watch recordings of sessions which will be posted in the course space for up to one year.
It must not be claimed that anyone can sense time by itself apart from the movement
of things. — Lucretius, Roman poet and philosopher
Why is this course important?
For centuries now we have been using time as a tool to impose order and hierarchy on the world around us. And that includes our own selves. We think of time as a limited resource; a means to get ahead of others. “Time waits for no one,” “Time is money,” we have to beat time in order to leave a legacy before we die. The phrase “o’clock” referring to “of the clock” signals a supposed domination of the clock over the living world. Separated and objectified time is leading us to a bleak future. Quantum science and Einstein’s theory of relativity is pointing us to a different picture of time. Time emerges from the rhythms of the living world. Time past is that in which are stories reside; time future is an array of possibilities beckoning us to continue our journey. The present moment is a portal to our timeless source!
Is this course for you?
- Do you feel lured by the mystery that surrounds the nature of TIME?
- Have you always wondered what is the right attitude to adopt towards time?
- Are you concerned about the bleak future our current worldview is leading us to?
- Do you want to understand the essence of quantum science and Einstein’s theory of relativity without the math and complex concepts?
If your answer is yes to any of the above, then this course is for you!
We feel so at home in the Deeptime Network courses. This community is unique.
— Elizabeth Carranza & John Leydon, Philippines
.Who is this for?
- Everyone who wants to integrate an understanding of the Cosmic Story and Nature of Time
- Teachers who want to bring an understanding of Quantum Physics and Time into the classroom.
- Spiritual/religious who want to situate and ground their understandings/practices inside an understanding of Quantum Physics and Time.
- Artists/Poets/Dancers inspired to express the Quantum & Time as part of the larger story we all share.
- Scientists who want to connect with and interpret Time through Quantum theory in new ways.
- Healers and healing practitioners who want to augment healing power of the present moment.
- Politicians/Activists looking for a larger context and understanding to address the crises of today.
- Mental Health Practioners who understand that our cosmologies give us meaning and purpose and help us relate to time in healthy ways. Dysfunctional cosmologies can be at the root of mental illness and addiction.
- Anyone who wants to ground their lives in the New Cosmology and a better relationship with Time.
About Sarbmeet Kanwal:
Sarbmeet Kanwal, PhD is an award-winning educator and a pioneer in novel ways of teaching quantum physics and astronomy. He holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics from the California Institute of Technology. His aptitude for explaining intricate scientific concepts in everyday language, has made him a sought after speaker among both science and non-science communities. He is the author of a TEDx talk on our new cosmic story, titled “Chaos to Cosmos.” Sarbmeet is a follower of the Sikh religion and a long time board member of the Monmouth Center for World Religions and Ethical Thought where he helped initiate several interfaith projects including the cofounding of an award winning youth leadership program called MOSAIC. He is a regular contributor to science blogs and a frequent instructor for Deeptime Network.
The Deeptime Network is leading a transition from transforming ourselves to transforming the world.
— Sarbmeet Kanwal
What people are saying about the Deeptime Network . . .
Our Learning Management System
We use Sensei integrated with Buddypress so that participants can engage in asynchronous course discussions, and share resources, profiles, and information about their organizations. We’ve had experience using this technology with people of all levels of technical capability. If you have any questions, we’re right there to help you. All meetings are recorded. The course will remain open for one year so you can view recordings, stay in touch and continue to share thoughts and resources with others sharing the journey with you. Our fearless developer, Mohit Sharma, stands at the ready to solve any tech problems that might crop up a long the way.