If you want to explore this relationship between time, the cosmos, and consciousness, you can also discover our astronomy experiences in rural accommodations, where observing the deep sky with telescopes opens new ways of perceiving the universe.
In many of our astronomy sessions —for individuals and groups— a recurring question appears: why do we perceive time as a line moving forward, rather than as a richer and more complex structure? Arrival offers a compelling answer. The linearity of time, this continuous progression from past to future, is not a universal property but a human limitation. Modern physics acknowledges this: in Einstein’s spacetime, moments do not “pass”—they exist. The cosmos is a block where cause and effect coexist, while we move through it trapped in a sequential narrative constructed by the brain.
The heptapods in Arrival break this narrative. Their circular language reflects a form of consciousness capable of perceiving an entire life as a complete structure rather than a linear path. Learning this language reshapes not only vocabulary but the mental framework itself: perceiving time as a circle means understanding that memory and anticipation belong to the same space. We often explore this in our astronomy experiences, where the cosmos expands temporal perception beyond the simple flow of minutes.
This perspective resonates with modern cosmology. Several models propose cyclic, bouncing, or conformal universes, where the Big Bang is no longer an absolute beginning but a transition within a broader sequence. The arrow of time emerges from entropy; it is not a fixed law. And if consciousness is flexible, perhaps it can also move beyond the linear perception we know.
Pros of a circular view of time:
• Integrates memory, anticipation, and meaning into a coherent framework.
• Reduces the sense of absolute randomness and adds continuity to human experience.
• Harmonizes physics, philosophy, and emotion without resorting to mysticism.
Cons:
• May lead to psychological determinism if interpreted rigidly.
• Diverges from the practical functioning of biological and social time.
• Requires a solid scientific framework to avoid conceptual confusion.
Recommended readings:
– The Order of Time, Carlo Rovelli
– From Eternity to Here, Sean Carroll
– Time Reborn, Lee Smolin
– The Arrow of Time, Paul Davies
If one day you wish to experience these ideas under a real night sky, you can do so through our astronomy experiences in rural accommodations, where time, the cosmos, and consciousness can be perceived in a different way.
Kilian Vindel – Starlight Certification
