Why Is It 'Now'?

Imagine you are watching a movie. The screen shows only one picture at a time, but the whole film already exists in the projector. Your brain grabs a tiny slice of reality and calls it the now. This is your specious present. It lasts about three seconds. Before that, things were past. After that, things are future. We feel like we are moving through time, but maybe time stays still while we move.

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Examples

  1. You catch a ball thrown to you; it feels like one smooth action rather than separate sights.
  2. Listening to a short melody where the notes blend into a single feeling of music.
  3. Watching clouds drift by; each cloud stays in your view for just a moment before changing.

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