Temporistics

Past, Present, Future and Eternity

1. When thinking about the origins of events, about causality, about experience, about unfinished business, we turn our gaze to the past. Also, such categories as history and tradition are associated with the past. In the context of self-perception, it is a vision of oneself as the sum of one's deeds. It is in the past that we find the answer to the question “Who am I?”, so looking into our own past is closely related to self-identification, the relationship with our own “I”.

2. It is also easy to tell when the “inner gaze” is directed toward the present. This is indicated by the perception of short-term events happening right now, a sense of involvement in a current process, a sense of connections with other people or phenomena - or in other words, a sense of being in the present tense. The present is closely related to space, both literally and more generally. “What is my place in the world?” - is the basic question to which the present answers. Whether one feels “in one's place” or “superfluous” or able to find “one's place” independently depends on one's relationship with the present.

3. The future involves setting goals and determining steps to achieve them, strategic thinking and planning, seeing oneself, one's future possibilities, and how the current situation affects one's own prospects.

4. But, sometimes, it is impossible to specify the exact direction of the “inner gaze”. Quite often we think in a generalized way, covering several time layers at once, or we look as if from the outside, abstractly. To determine where such an “inner gaze” is directed, the word eternity will be used in the future. Looking into eternity is closely connected with the perception of such a category as meaning. Meaning summarizes the vision of the present, past and future. Also connected with eternity is the vision of cyclicity - events from the past repeating in the present with conclusions about the future. The simplest and most accurate description of a view into eternity is an abstracted view, a view of one's life from the outside. In a philosophical context, such a view is needed to answer the question “what is my purpose?” or, in other words, “why am I?”.

Typology of temporistics is based on the assumption that in subconsciousness of each person there is a system of priorities according to which on perception of some aspects more energy is allocated than on perception of others. Aspects can be ranked from strong to weak, thus any combinations are possible.

Thus, 24 different priority choices or 24 temporistic types are possible.

Space-Time

The functions of Psychosophy are concerned with space, Physics, Logic, Will and Emotion are direct “horizontal” ways for humans to influence the world. Whereas aspects of Temporalism speak of time. Past, Future, Present and Eternity are man's ways of tapping into “vertical reality”. 

So, the aspect that comes first, be it past, present, future or eternity, is the goal. It is in the first aspect, which receives the maximum amount of energy, that the area of self-realization, our basic need to influence the world, is found. 

The second aspect (what time would be in it) fulfills the role of a tool, an assistant in achieving goals. 

The third aspect is a criterion, it limits, helps to avoid wrong paths. 

The fourth aspect, which receives the least amount of energy, is a resource, fuel. We sacrifice the dynamics of the fourth aspect to get more energy in the area of our self-realization.

More about the Past (P)

The past is one of the most interesting topics of our personal philosophy. We can relate to the past in different ways, consider it important or unimportant, see our experience as a burden or a treasure.

To illustrate the types of relationships, let us take literature as an analogy - let our past be a book. Then we ourselves can take one of four positions: Author, Chronicler, Critic, or Reader.

Author's position (I. Past in goal aspect, purpose)

For the Author, the past is the realm of self-realization. His inner question “who am I?” is almost always transformed into “who do I want to be?”. A person with such an active position in relation to his past acts like an author writing a book of his life - he shapes himself in accordance with his idea - acquires experience, even if useless or even dangerous, but, most importantly, interesting. My years are my wealth. An author is a person who looks at any, even dramatic, event of his life - consciously or not - also from the point of view of its artistic merits. He may embark on an adventure simply because it will be an elegant plot move that will decorate or simply make his “life journey” more interesting.

The author sees the past as a motive for action, feels well what needs to be done in order to complete the processes that once began. This approach has a downside - the past is extremely demanding for the author. He often cannot “leave alone” situations from the past that have not been completed to their logical end. He is sure that if “there is a gun hanging on the stage in the first act, it will definitely go off”. At the same time, in most cases, the Author's philosophy gives him confidence that “everything can be fixed” - a new page, a new chance. Perhaps the most important thing about the author is the subconscious belief that the answer to the question “who am I?” is his and only his task. - is his and only his task. He is sure that the task is within his grasp. “I am the author. This is my book (life).” Other people's opinions will not be taken seriously, the Author is sure that only he knows who he really is.

The position of the Chronicler (II. Past in creative aspect, instrument)

The Chronicler, unlike the Author, is in an observational position. He does not invent, he does not self-actualize, he fixes. If for the Author the past is the realm of goals, for the Chronicler the past is a tool. The self-realization of the Chronicler lies somewhere outside the realm of the past, outside the answer to the question “who am I?”.

If the Author forms his history, the Chronicler uses his history. He has a good memory, he has the ability to see in the past the sources of present events or analogies with what is happening now (especially if he has the 1st eternity). The chronicler sees the past as something natural that doesn't need to be changed, but at the same time as an endless storehouse of knowledge about the world. He likes to talk and reminisce about the past in the company of other people, it is an endless source of information and joy for him. At the same time, he is not fixated on his own past, he willingly remembers other people and listens about them.

The past is a tool. The chronicler knows his qualities, knows his gifts. This allows him to determine what he is capable of and what he is not. He picks up old connections quite easily and uses them, never forgets a successful or unsuccessful experience.

The chronicler's past is not demanding, he does not have to answer the question “who am I”, he does not have to think about what he wants to become, he does not have to finish what he has started. The past is only a tool for him to achieve his goals, but it is a reliable tool, a favorite tool, which the chronicler uses often, with pleasure, on occasion and without.

The Critic's Position (III. Past in Pain, Criterion)

For the critic, the past is his judge. The past is the criterion by which the critic assesses whether he is living his life correctly. “Who am I?” - is a poignant, almost painful question that the critic will revisit with each new experience, whether he or she wants to or not. Pain is the primary negative emotion of the past, a frequent companion of the critic. The past rarely provides the critic with a positive evaluation; rather, it serves as a limiting factor, more often answering the question “who I should not be” than “who I am.”

Unlike the author, the critic cannot choose who he wants to be. In his philosophy, history is already written, it is static, the critic cannot change anything, he can only judge it. Having done something he doesn't like (even a trifle), the critic can chew on it for a long time, no matter whether the action was accidental or intentional, whether there was another way out or not. Being judged, even if judged by oneself, is unpleasant. As an erroneous strategy, the critic often tries to separate himself from his past - he rarely communicates with his family, he tears up unnecessary contacts without regret, he prefers to forget any unpleasant situation rather than resolve it.

In fact, using the past as a criterion, as a judge, can be a powerful tool in the hands of the critic. Not everyone has such clear guidelines in life, not everyone is able to look back and see important lessons. Some may not see them, but the critic, by virtue of his or her perception, is simply unable to ignore important experiences. If the critic does not turn away from the past, listens to the inner judge - he feels satisfaction and integrity, gets more energy for his self-realization.

The Reader's Position (IV. The Past in Blind Aspect, Resource)

For the reader, the past is a resource, a fuel, a bargaining chip. He does not consider the past important; he ignores the search for an answer to the question “who am I” in order to save himself the energy to answer other, more important questions in his personal philosophy. The reader neither creates his own history nor criticizes it. Since the past is closely connected with self-identification, readers are often perceived as “dark horses” - you can communicate with them for many years, but never fully understand what kind of person they were. However, the reader doesn't realize it himself.

It is difficult for the reader to use his “baggage”, to single out useful experience, to understand whether he possesses these or those qualities. The reader is kind of detached from his past - it is not his book, and it is not his duty to write new chapters there. At the same time, the reader willingly interacts with a friendly author, lets him use his qualities, skills, acquaintances - this allows the reader's past to be more fully revealed in its true purpose, because the reader (consciously or not) sacrifices his past for something more important and it is important for him that the sacrifice was not in vain.

More about the Present (N)

The present is a special aspect of perception. It is not by chance that the word “present” has two senses - one can use this word to describe time, and the other as a synonym for the genuine, the authentic. It is in the present tense that any action, any activity, whatever its aspect, takes place. And those of us who are closer to real life are those who are able to engage in the present moment. Involvement is the key to understanding the present as an aspect of temporality. When we get involved in a process, a matter, we automatically find ourselves in it, find our place. Someone practically does not separate himself and the place he occupies, someone is “like a fish in water” wherever he is, and it is not easy for someone to find his place, his role. These are different types of relationships with the present.

The position of the Master (I. Present in the goal aspect, purpose)

The master is involved in any case quickly and easily, and his role in this case he determines himself. The host can become an organizer and executor, and a key figure and statistician - he will choose what he likes and can do. In any situation - that at a business meeting, that at a party with friends, that in line at the store - and the host himself, and the role he has chosen will be noticeable. This is inevitable, because the present is the area of self-realization of the host, the expression of himself through his place in the world for him is not only natural, but also necessary. Whatever the master does, he nonverbally transmits a message to others - “I am here”, “I exist”. Possessors of other target aspects do not express themselves in the present tense, so it is the host who more often than others is able to involve others in his activity. At the same time, he does not necessarily involve at the expense of will - the host, maximally merging with his role, creates space for complicity, activity.

The host is inclined to delay cases and, in general, any process. Having started to do something, and starts the host is quite easy, often can not stop in time. Involved in the case already started before him can destroy the existing atmosphere with his own vision of the roles of participants and about the host is not uncommon to hear “he is too much.

Position of the Local (II. Present in creative aspect, tool)

The position of the “local” allows its owner to comfortably be exactly where he is. If for the master the role is important for self-actualization, he creates a role for himself rather than chooses it, the local will simply occupy one of the existing niches that best suits his interests. The local will not stick to “his place”, to one role, to one line of behavior. He sees the present in all its diversity, notices all current processes and easily switches. If someone, coming to an unfamiliar collective, quickly became “his own”, then either his values coincided with the values of the collective, or this person is a local.

The local is characterized by the desire for co-companionship, partnership and co-creation in relation to what is happening at the moment. But, at the same time, the local knows how to immerse himself in what is happening without losing himself. He does not merge with the present, the present is only his instrument.

Position of the Exile (III. The present in the painful aspect, criterion)

The exile perceives the present as a criterion. This means that place and role occupy for him a key position in self-evaluation, and are also extremely important in assessing the quality of his life. The exile is not looking for the role in which he will show himself best, nor the one that will be most beneficial to him, he longs for a worthy role.

The “exile” position gets its name from the feeling that the holder of the third present has when he or she tries to get rid of the present's destructive influence on self-esteem. The exile staggers from detachment (refusal to be involved in life, to search for his place), to excessive involvement, when the exile grabs at everything, imitates vigorous activity, trying to demonstrate to himself and others as if he is busy with something important. Boredom and emptiness accompany him in the first case, vanity and meaninglessness in the second. And, in both cases, the exile is weighed down by the feeling of his own irrelevance. It is as if he has no place, no role, as if he is banished.

Guest's position (IV. The present in the blind aspect, resource)

For the blind present, the present moment is something fleeting, ephemeral. The present is not something important, so the guest is usually willing to sacrifice his perception of the present in order to enhance other aspects that are more important to him, the guest. As a result, in rapidly changing circumstances and simply in unfamiliar surroundings, when engagement in the present is important, the guest quickly becomes lost; he or she does not see his or her place, his or her role in what is happening and tends to float along, accepting the role that the circumstances push him or her toward. If the guest is too confused by the dynamically changing events, he will prefer not to break his head, to wait until the present goes into the past and the current situation can be considered from the point of view of a stronger aspect. But, when the present fades into the past and the question “what is my place” is transformed into “who am I - the guest's spontaneous attitude to his role can change dramatically.

At the same time, the realization of one's passivity in the present (until this present has passed) is not something critical for the guest's self-esteem. He experiences boredom and loneliness much more easily than an exile. He is less inclined than others to attach importance to feelings of involvement and happiness.

More about the Future (B)

Objectively, the future does not exist until it becomes the present. However, this does not prevent the future from occupying an important place in the personal philosophy of many people. The future has not yet arrived, but we already have a certain idea in our heads of what will happen - more or less thought out, more or less detailed.

If we consider life as a movement, then in the future there are points of our route that we have not yet reached. How to treat the unpassed part of the path, whether to consider the future real or not, whether to consider our route predetermined or it depends on us - everyone answers these questions in his own way, according to his personal philosophy.

For the names of types of relations with the future the theme of seafaring is well suited and each type will be associated with one of the roles on a sea vessel: captain, helmsman, stowaway and passenger.

Captain's position (I. Future in the goal aspect, purpose)

The future is the area of self-realization of the captain. He considers it his and only his task to lay out his life route. The captain does not think that the future will come by itself, “trusting the waves” is not his strategy. The captain always keeps one or more points of the future route in his mind. This is not necessarily a detailed plan - rather, it is characteristic for a captain to form an image in his head of what should happen to him or his affairs in the future (near or far), where he should eventually “sail” to and, further, move towards this image. The image of the future can be “spelled out” in detail or in general “strokes”, it can be both realistic and far-fetched. Here it is important that the captain uses the image as a fulcrum, a reference point, a beacon - it gives him strength and motivation.

The future for the captain is almost tangible, real. The image of his future, which the captain builds in his imagination, is more reliable for him than his real possibilities (the past). Therefore, the captain is extremely reluctant to change his long-term plans, even under the pressure of circumstances, because it destroys his reality.

Helmsman's position (II. Future in creative aspect, tool)

From the helmsman's position - the future looks a little different. In the helmsman's position the future is in the creative aspect, it is not a goal, it is only a tool for its achievement. Since the helmsman is not busy building an image of his future, the future is open to him with all the variety of life paths and routes. The helmsman will not hesitate to change his long-term plans if his interests change; he will survive a “vague” period of life relatively easily, if due to circumstances he will not have the opportunity to plan something.

At the same time, it is not difficult to imagine the fate of a real ship with a helmsman but without a captain. The helmsman will keep the ship afloat, but the helmsman is a tactician, not a strategist.  The future does not demand anything from the helmsman, the question “where am I going” is not fundamental for him. It is much harder for a helmsman to subordinate his life to a long-term goal.

His position is observant and wait-and-see, the helmsman is good at tracking changes in life that can affect his future and reacts to them. As a rule, he tends to trust the natural course of events, rightly believing that he will always notice a threat to his future in time to intervene.

Stowaway's position (III. Future in the painful aspect, criterion)

The stowaway has the future in pain aspect. Usually, the stowaway feels weak, defenseless before the future. It is not the future that depends on him - he depends on the future. Prospects and possibilities (the main tools of the future) are to a large extent for the stowaway a criterion of quality of life and very much influence his self-esteem. In fact, the stowaway constantly lives under the oppression of a formidable inner judge, constantly asking - “where are you going?”, “are you doing enough?”, “what is your contribution to the future?”

Being constantly evaluated is difficult and unpleasant. It is the attempt to avoid being evaluated, it is the avoidance of the criterion, that makes the person with a future 3 a “stowaway”. In his misguided strategy, the stowaway tries to minimize his influence on the future - he does nothing to avoid making things worse. Let the future come on its own, and maybe it won't be bad. In reality, the stowaway can't completely turn away from what lies ahead, and this contributes to fear, the primary negative emotion of the future. Often a person with a painful future can be recognized by a hypertrophied fear of death or fear of growing old.

To avoid fear, it is helpful for the stowaway to do things, to focus on activities that make a difference in his life in some way. Not with bogus activities or excessive planning, for which stowaways are so famous, but with something real, really useful for the future. Then the inner judge will begin to give the stowaway positive evaluations.

The Passenger's Position (IV. Future in a Blind Spot, Resource)

The passenger is usually poorly aware of how he can influence his future. According to the passenger's philosophy, the future is something objective, it is not something he is involved in - it is something that happens to him. If we ask a passenger how he sees himself in a year - we may get a detailed answer, but tomorrow the answer may be completely different - the passenger's future is too ephemeral, unreal, and he cannot keep it in his head all the time.

To imagine a desired event in the future and to define steps for its realization is a very difficult task for a passenger, as a rule they understand what should be done as a first step, for deeper thinking it takes more effort. When it is necessary to make a decision about the future - they procrastinate in order to bring the future closer to the present. Often, passengers do not consider the future worth thinking about at all. Why think about it if it will come by itself? - that's the passenger's logic. The future is a resource, a bargaining chip - not thinking about it frees up energy for other aspects.

More about Eternity (V)

One can know who you are, where you are now and where you are going, but there remains one important question - “why?”. When we are interested in the meaning of other people's actions, in the meaning of something external, it may have nothing to do with temporalism. It is only the application of the category of meaning to ourselves, to our own lives, that connects us with eternity.

Despite the fact that eternity is connected with impersonal, detached perception, the answer to the question “why me?” cannot be objective, just as there is no objective and correct answer to the question “who am I?” and other questions of temporalism. One can approach the question of one's own purpose in different ways: for some people the search for the meaning of life is a fascinating journey into the unknown, for some people it is an agonizing but inevitable process, and for some people it is not so important whether there is a meaning, or whether there is none and never was.

Position of the guru (I. Eternity in the goal aspect, purpose)

Eternity for the guru is the field of his self-realization. He has the power and ability to give meaning both to his own life and to the objects and phenomena around him. Giving meaning is not the same as seeking it. The guru may not choose what to do, but he is confident in his right to choose why.

Purposeful eternity is characterized by a deep vision in the realm of timeless categories. It is the ability to look at a situation and at oneself from a detached, as if from the outside. When describing, for example, his impressions from a trip, the guru can completely exclude himself from his own story, describe everything not as something he has seen personally, but as a set of facts, as if he were quoting a book or an almanac.

He is constantly extracting meaning, morals, seeing patterns and cannot stop, even if he does not have enough information to reflect on. In a way, the guru is emotionally dependent on the feeling of belonging that always arises after something makes sense.

Position of the philosopher (II. Eternity in the creative aspect, instrument)

The second eternity is almost as strong in as the first. People with creative eternity are characterized by the presence of good analytical abilities, the ability to see the interrelationships between events, to detached perception. Unlike the first eternity, which often synthesizes and creates the meaning of something when it is impossible to see it, the second eternity does not see the resonance in it.

For a philosopher, meaning is only a tool that helps in solving tasks, both everyday and global. A philosopher perceives other worldview concepts more easily than other types, it is easier for him to “try them on” because the question “why do I live?” is not so critical for him. It is important for a philosopher to feel the general meaningfulness of life, his work, activity, and it is better without constraining specifics. This gives him a sense of freedom and strength.

Position of an Ordinary (III. Eternity in the painful aspect, criterion)

For eternity in the painful aspect the questions of meaning are the most critical. Meaningfulness for such people is an important criterion of the quality of life, but the aspiration to meaningfulness in the average person is expressed quite differently than in the guru. If for the guru meaning is a positive, motivating aspect, then for the average person it is restrictive, requiring “don't do nonsense”, directive and instructive.

The name “philistine” for the third eternity is chosen because of the erroneous strategy that the bearers of the painful eternity use to get out from under the pressurizing evaluation of their criterion. The answers to questions of meaning are almost never obvious. Constant doubts about the meaningfulness of their lives can lead the bearers of painful eternity into a state of permanent ennui and they often find a way out by hiding behind the mask of the average person.

Having chosen the path of escape, the average person detaches himself from the questions of “why”, does not try to look at his life from the outside, completely devotes his life to everyday life, falls into vanity, trying to drown out the feeling of uselessness of his existence with abundant activity. But since eternity does not leave the realm of criterion, it only gets worse. When the philistine succeeds in shutting himself off from the meaningfulness of life in general, he begins to be tormented by the meaninglessness of a smaller scale - he judges himself for a useless day, for a useless evening, for a meaningless conversation. The longing does not remain.

It takes a certain amount of courage for the philistine to look outside himself. However, it is the philistine (in the temporal sense) who is closer to understanding his purpose, his vocation, than all other types. He feels earlier and more subtly than others that he has deviated from the right path.

Pupil's position (IV. Eternity in the blind aspect, resource)

For the student, questions of meaning may be interesting, but they are in the last place in the hierarchy of temporal values. In fact, the disciple sacrifices the search for meaning in order to free up time and energy for other, more concrete, “close-to-life” tasks. The bearer of the fourth eternity can easily be influenced by someone else's ideology and, having succumbed, will not consider alternatives until he or she is completely disillusioned.

The disciple, unlike the other types, tends to believe that the meaning of everything and anything is objective, set from the beginning. If someone says that “life has no meaning”, it is more likely to be a disappointed philistine or a lazy philosopher, but not a disciple.

The most important thing about the disciple's relationship with eternity is that the disciple does not consider the answer to the question “why” to be his personal task, either in the context of the whole of life or in particular endeavors. He is happy to delegate this task to someone else.

It is important that we consider the answers to the questions of the first and third aspects as our task and only our task. We must find the answers ourselves and the word of another person will never be decisive.

The target and painful aspects work differently, but what the two aspects have in common is demandingness. The target aspect is the area of self-realization, the goal. It is creative and positively motivating, its demands are the child's demands according to E. Berne - “I want”. There's a certain infantilism to it - the first past ventures into adventure for the sake of questionable experiences, the first present gets carried away with the process to the point of completely ignoring everyone and everything, the future is made up and dreamers, and eternity is self-proclaimed gurus. This inadequacy of the first aspect is indeed inevitable, for in the first aspect is self-realization, the expansion of the boundaries of the possible.

However, the most interesting aspect is the painful aspect, and working with your third, painful aspect is most important. The painful aspect also pushes the development of personal philosophy, but from the negative motivation side, its questions usually have the “don't” part - “who I shouldn't be”, “where I don't belong”, “where I shouldn't go”, “what I shouldn't do”. Being pressured into a “parental” position is unpleasant. Being judged by your inner judge can be painful.

Division into tetrads:

• Tetrads 6-1-2 The Era of Individuality (P)

• Tetrads 2-3-4 Era of Order (B)

• Tetrads 4-5-6 Era of Movement (B)

• Tetrads 1-5-3 The Golden Age of Each Era (N)

1. Antipodes, Single-plane N and P

The place is fixed, the position in space is fixed in all senses, the point of view. Everything personal is fixed, the image of oneself. The direction of development and the search for a way of existence is the subject of manipulation

• PBVN Game Master

• PVBN Maestro

• NBVP Player

• NVBP Politician

2. Guards and border guards, Single-plane B and P

Everything personal is fixed, the image of oneself. The way of existence is fixed. The direction of development and the search for one's place is the subject of manipulation.

• VBNP Missionary

• VNBP Flagbearer

• PNBV Rescuer

• PBNV Knight

3. Old-timers and founders of the “face” world, Single-plane N and V

The way of existence is fixed. The place in the world is fixed. The direction of development and everything personal + self-image is the subject of manipulation.

• VPBN Theorist

• VBPN Oracle

• NBPV Conqueror

• NPBV Star

4. Conductors, Single-plane B and V

The way of existence is fixed. The direction of development is fixed. The place in the world and the image of the personality are the subject of manipulation.

• VPNB Ideologist

• VNPB Samurai

• BNPV Colonist

• BPNV Pioneer

5. Scouts and reconnaissance officers, Single-plane H and B

The place in the world and the direction of development are fixed. The way of existence and the image of the personality are the subject of manipulation.

• BVPN Scout

• BPVN Hacker

• NVPB Gray Cardinal

• NPVB Taster

6. Nomads and vagabonds, Single-plane P and B

Everything personal, self-image and direction of development are recorded. Place in the world and way of existence are subject to manipulation.

• PNVB Tamada

• PVNB Pathfinder

• BVNP Robinson

• BNVP Initiator