So I've had this peculiar idea for a few years now, and every now and again it pops up in my head and sits there like a big blob of pure mystery and oddness. Thought I'd share it with you today.
Now, I'm under no illusion such an idea has not been hitherto explored by some sci-fi piece of media at some point in time, but it still fascinates me beyond any and all comprehension.
Those of you that know me will know I'm very much fascinated by the concept of higher dimensionality. It's been something that has long been a passion of mine, a conceptual reality that I often like to entertain just for the sake of it. Yet, it always pertains to the physical, spatial realm. So one day as I was lying in bed, in those quiet hours of the night, I tried to merge it with the concept of time. And boy oh boy did it absolutely not help me fall asleep this night...
So, let's assume, for the sake of this thread, that time, as we know it, is a linear dimension. As far as we know, it only goes in one direction - forward. As such, it is mathematically considered a "vector". Our memories, which is how we access time in a backwards fashion, is little more than a biochemical specificity that is, as far as we know, found only in our species on Earth.
But...
Let's imagine time in two dimensions. Now it's not just a vector, it's a 2D plane upon which one could move forward/backward and side to side. It's an imaginary square of temporal points scattered upon a medium that may or may not be spacetime. So, how would it look if we had access to 2D time?
Well, a temporal vector is just a line with a direction. As soon as we upgrade time to two dimensions, we assume there can be an infinite number of parallel temporal vectors running in the same direction. So, naturally, a being that has two-dimensional temporal access can manually observe and select the temporal vector that applies to its current preferences.
Imagine you're taking a deep toke from that changa bong, and by the time you get to leave it on your bedside counter, you're far too deep and you drop and break it. Pause, ascend, observe the temporal field of vectors, and manually choose and transport yourself to that which has you safely putting the bong on the table before you blast off. You can quickly see how one would become a de-facto master of their predetermined destiny, by being able to choose, from an infinite catalogue of possible outcomes, that which suits their agenda most.
Now, let's bump up time one dimension higher. Now instead of a simple square full of an infinite amount of temporal vectors, you gain access to an infinitely large cube of temporal vectors, and because you have volume to work with, there's nothing preventing you from changing the direction of a vector. Soem timelines could go backwards, while others go forwards. And some can even go side to side, connecting to other vectors moving in whatever direction you can imagine. You could merge and morph timelines together into a wholly new temporal entity.
In a sense, I don't think 2D and 3D space are that different amongst themselves. But when you apply them to space itself, things might start to look different. In any case, I can't imagine how a reality like that would look like. It seems like there would be no secrets from one, that no piece of cosmic knowledge, no matter how arcane or obscure, would be inaccessible to a being that has complete control over space AND time in multiple dimensional combinations.
You'd be no different than a God, playing with time and space, morphing it, like some kind of astral play-dough. And in a sense, we are exactly that. The fact that we can imagine such a scenario puts us on the level of Gods. Whether or not we make use of these things is what distinguishes us from actual Gods, and not just some kind of God-like essence, trapped in the dark chrysalis of matter.
Really does send one's imagination wild, doesn't it?