Temporal Psychology and Psychotherapy. The Human Being in Time and Beyond

4. Financial High-Frequency Time (high-frequency / market time)

– Description: extremely compressed horizons, split-second decisions, risk orientation.

– Features: trading windows, tick-time, profit indicators as primary temporal markers.

– Where it is heard: financial centres, trading cultures.

5. Project-Agile Time (project / sprint time)

– Description: time measured in project cycles – sprints, deadlines, MVPs.

– Features: cyclical bursts of intense effort followed by phases of retrospective and adjustment.

– Where it is heard: IT, start-ups, creative industries.

6. Transpersonal / Ritual Time (ritual / sacred time)

– Description: eternity, cycles of myth, stepping out of linear time through ritual.

– Features: sacred holidays, meditation, experiences of «timelessness».

– Where it is heard: religious and spiritual practices, traditional societies.

7. Cultural-Ancestral Time (lineage / ancestral time)

– Description: the past as an active context – lineage, heritage.

– Features: family rituals, stories of ancestors as temporal coordinates.

– Where it is heard: diasporas, strongly lineage-based communities.

8. Climatic / Planetary Time (Anthropocene time)

– Description: large temporal horizons – generations, climate trends.

– Features: planning on decades or centuries, ecological habits, «the time of consequences».

– Where it is heard: environmental movements, long-term infrastructure governance.

9. Pandemic / Crisis Time (crisis / contingency time)

– Description: time of dramatic compression and uncertainty; response mode.

– Features: emergency protocols, temporal indeterminacy, fuzzy horizons.

– Where it is heard: periods of epidemics, wars, major local disasters.

10. Diasporic / Hybrid Time (diasporic / hybrid time)

– Description: multiplicity of times among people living between cultures; nonlinear adaptations.

– Features: mixed calendars, double rituals, multiple temporal codes.

– Where it is heard: migrants, transcultural communities.

11. Creative-Aesthetic Time (aesthetic / slow / deep time)

– Description: rhythms of contemplation, long-term artistic work, «slow time».

– Features: extended horizons, cycles of creation, priority of quality over speed.

– Where it is heard: the arts, crafts, intentional slow-life movements.

12. Technological / Algorithmic Time (algorithmic / AI time)

– Description: time structured by algorithms and their cycles – updates, models, predictive schedules.

– Features: decisions suggested or imposed by predictive models; «time by the model», optimisation for computation.

– Where it is heard: platform ecosystems, smart cities, algorithmic governance.

Emerging Temporal Languages to Watch

– AI / Algorithmic Time (see above) – algorithms setting schedules and expectations; impacts sense of control.

– Climatic / Long-Horizon Planning – «legacy planning» becoming normative for infrastructure and policy.

– Gig-Economy Micro-Times – fragmentation of work into short, discontinuous slots.

– Slow-Tech / Digital Detox – reaction formations: movements toward deceleration and «anti-real-time».

– Post-Crisis Regimes (military / sanitary) – institutional adaptation to ongoing unpredictability.

– Transnational Temporal Networks (Diasporas) – mixed calendars and hybrid practices.

Why This Matters Clinically and Practically

– A client’s temporal language sets expectations and frames for therapy (some live in «sprint mode», others in «ancestral time»).

– A mismatch between the therapist’s and client’s temporal languages can generate misunderstanding and reproduce stress.

– The emergence of new languages (AI, climate, gig-economy) changes patterns of anxiety, meaning, and motivation – and requires updated diagnostic tools and interventions.

How to Listen and Keep Up (Practical Steps)

– Ethnographic listening. Include questions in the anamnesis such as:

– «Which rituals measure time for you?»

– «Which events mark beginnings and endings?»

– «Over what horizons do you usually plan?»

– Mapping the client’s language. Add to the temporal map: dominant language, secondary language, triggers for switching between them.

– Monitoring the environment. Track media, work practices, local rituals: where in the client’s environment are new temporal codes audible?

– Adapting interventions. For a «project-time» client – focus on sprints and retrospectives. For a «sacred-time» client – work through ritual and meaningful anchors. For a «digital-time» client – boundaries around notifications and digital anchors of presence.

– Learning and research. Maintain a living database of «temporal languages» observed in your region/practice and update it once a quarter – this keeps you attuned to emerging codes.

A Short Diagnostic Mini-Checklist (Three Questions for a Session)

– What feels like «normal time» for you right now (workday / holiday / ritual)?

– Over what horizons do you usually plan (days / months / generations)?

– How much of your time comes from outside (notifications, algorithms, deadlines) and how much from within (intuitions, family traditions, faith)?

Conclusion: there are many temporal languages – and their number grows as the socio-technical world becomes more complex. Our task as psychologists is not to compile a total dictionary of all possible rhythms, but to maintain a working map of the main codes and the capacity to hear new, emerging languages. Then therapy remains relevant: we do not only «treat» the client, but help them build a dialogue with the time of their epoch.

Twelve Ornaments Corresponding to the Typology of Temporal Languages

Twelve Ornaments Corresponding to the Typology of Temporal Languages

Below are brief explanations for each ornament (for captions or use in the text):

1. Industrial-Calendar – a gear or clock face: linearity, schedule, the mechanics of the workday.

2. Agrarian-Seasonal – wavy lines and symbols of the sun/leaves: cyclicality of seasons and rituals.

3. Digital / Real-Time – a pixel grid: stream, notifications, fragments of attention.

4. Financial High-Frequency – vertical candlestick bars: rapid-fire decisions and price metrics.

5. Project-Agile – a sequence of sprints with arrows: cycles of tasks and retrospectives.

6. Transpersonal / Ritual – a mandala: stepping beyond linear time, sacred cycles.

7. Cultural-Ancestral – «annual rings» with branches: layers of ancestors and family scripts.

8. Climatic / Planetary – a globe outline with layered waves: long time horizons and consequences.

9. Pandemic / Crisis – sharp peaks: temporal compression and uncertainty.

10. Diasporic / Hybrid – overlapping calendars: multiple temporal codes and mixed practices.

11. Creative-Aesthetic – smooth, brush-like lines: slow, contemplative time.

12. Technological / Algorithmic – a network of nodes and arrows: decisions by prediction, model-driven time.

Ornaments for Emerging Temporal Languages

Ornaments for Emerging Temporal Languages

– AI / Algorithmic Time – a central node/clock plus a network: algorithms as distributors of schedules and expectations.

– Climatic / Long-Horizon Planning – layered horizons and a sprout: long temporal horizons and «legacy» planning.

– Gig-Economy / Micro-Times – many short strokes: fragmentation of working time into tiny segments.

– Slow-Tech / Digital Detox – smooth lines and a «pause» symbol: counter-movements toward slowing down and «anti-real-time».

– Post-Crisis Regimes – a shield and a cascade of peaks: institutional adaptations under permanent unpredictability.

– Transnational Temporal Networks (Diasporas) – overlapping calendars and arch-shaped connections: hybrid calendars and mixed practices.

(The full «Temporal Languages Test» (36 items), «Temporal Portrait», and the course «Working with the Present» are placed in the Appendix to Chapter 7.)

Literature and Commentary

Barrett, L. F. How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. 2017.

Barrett proposes a theory of constructed emotion, arguing that emotions are not hard-wired, universal reactions but predictions built by the brain from interoceptive signals and prior experience. This highlights the predictive nature of the present: the brain constantly forecasts and shapes «now» based on past templates. Clinically, it suggests that altering predictive models (through reinterpretation, awareness training) can change the emotional tone of the present. The book is a bridge between contemporary neuroscience and therapeutic work aimed at reconstructing predictions.

Craig, A. D. (Bud). «How do you feel? Interoception: the sense of the physiological condition of the body.» (early 2000s, review works).

Craig and colleagues systematise the concept of interoception – the inner sense of bodily state (heart rate, breathing, gut activity) – and show its central role in forming emotional experience and self-awareness. Interoception functions as an «informational filter» of the present, determining which signals we notice and how we interpret the moment. In practice this justifies including interoceptive exercises (body scan, breath work) in regulation protocols. In teaching, Craig’s work explains the neurobiological basis for why «I am here» feels the way it does.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. 1990.

Csikszentmihalyi describes «flow» as a state of optimal experience: high concentration, loss of self-consciousness, deep absorption in activity. Flow exemplifies a maximally resourced present. He details its conditions, features, and contribution to well-being. Clinically, flow is not only an aesthetic ideal but a therapeutic target (restoring meaning, reducing anxiety via engaged activity). Methodologically, the book offers tools for creating flow-supportive conditions (structuring tasks, balancing challenge and skill). In training, it is crucial to differentiate flow from dissociation so as not to confuse resource states with defensive withdrawal.

Damasio, A. R. The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness. 1999.

Damasio explores how bodily sensations and emotional signals constitute subjective self-consciousness and the «feeling of now». He frames «feeling» as an integration of interoceptive information and cognitive maps that yield an evaluation of the moment. For therapists, this is a strong argument in favour of bodywork (interventions at the levels of breath, posture, interoceptive awareness) as a direct path to modifying the experience of «here-and-now». Methodologically, the book provides a bridge between neurobiology and clinical techniques of regulation.

Davidson, R. J., Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., et al. «Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation.» Psychosomatic Medicine, 2003.

This empirical study was one of the first to demonstrate changes in brain activity and immune parameters in participants of an MBSR program. The authors found shifts in frontal lobe activation and immune markers, providing a biological basis for the clinical effects of mindfulness. For practice, it supports the idea that by strengthening presence we not only improve subjective well-being but also influence physiological systems that underlie resilience in the present. In teaching, this study is a key example of the link between attentional practices and objective health indicators.

Frankl, V. E. Man’s Search for Meaning. 1946/1962.

Frankl shows how meaning and values can transform even a traumatic present into a field of survival and creativity. His experience in concentration camps and subsequent development of logotherapy demonstrate that meaning in the present is a key to resilience and the capacity to endure suffering without losing inner coherence. For practice it is a reminder that therapy of the present should include the search for and formation of meaning, not only symptomatic regulation. In teaching, Frankl serves as a bridge between existential philosophy and applied psychotherapy.

Freud, S. Die Traumdeutung. 1900.

Freud teaches us to regard dreams and symptoms as ways in which the past asserts itself in the present. His method shows that many «current» reactions are rooted in early, often repressed experience and that understanding the structure of these memories alters present dynamics of behaviour. Clinically this means that adequate interpretation of transference relationships and work with unconscious conflicts affects not only narrative understanding but everyday experience of «here-and-now». While many Freudian theses are criticised and revised, his observations on early bonds and repression remain practically significant for dissecting the clinical present.

Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., Ott, U. «How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective.» 2011 (review works).

Hölzel and colleagues systematise potential mechanisms of mindfulness practices: changes in attention, emotion regulation, self-perspective, and attitudes toward thoughts. They link psychological processes to neural changes (DMN, prefrontal networks, interoceptive regions) and discuss how these mechanisms impact the subjective present. For clinicians, it clarifies which specific components of practice underpin improvements in presence and how to integrate them into therapy. In teaching, the paper is a scientific baseline for selecting techniques and explaining their effects.

James, W. The Principles of Psychology. 1890 – section on the «specious present.»

James formulates the concept of the «specious present» – an experience that feels like a moment yet includes recent past and immediate future in a single qualitative whole. This is valuable for clinical phenomenology: the present is not a point but a «chunk of time» felt as a unity. It helps explain why anchor techniques (brief bodily acts, attentional shifts) are effective: they alter the structure of this chunk. James also stresses embodiment and the stream of consciousness, ideas that foreshadow modern neuropsychology and phenomenology. In training, his concept should be connected to contemporary measures (attention, working memory, interoception).

James, W. The Varieties of Religious Experience. 1902.

Here James studies religious and mystical experiences and their influence on a person’s life. For the present, the analysis of «mystical states» is especially relevant: they are often described as experiences of eternity or «out of time» and have profound effects on meaning and behaviour. James shows that such experiences can become resources for mental health if integrated into life, while also warning of the dangers of uncritical surrender to them. In courses on psychology of religion and transpersonal psychology, James remains a foundational figure.

Jung, C. G. The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. 1959.

Jung’s idea of the collective unconscious and archetypes is a cornerstone for understanding how the present is filled with images experienced not as personal constructs but as pre-given scripts. In his work, the «here-and-now» appears not only as a moment of individual experience but as a stage on which mythological and cultural structures are enacted. For therapists this means that many manifestations of presence are symbolic and should be addressed hermeneutically rather than purely logically. Jung’s methods of dialogue with the unconscious (dream work, active imagination) transform symptomatic present experience into meaningful processes of choice.

Kabat-Zinn, J. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. 1990.

This classic text presents MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) as a structured program for clinical and community settings. Kabat-Zinn offers exercises that strengthen attentional holding in the present, reduce reactivity, and increase bodily awareness. The book launched many studies on the effects of meditation on stress, pain, and emotional regulation. For therapists it provides simple, replicable practices and protocols that can be integrated into diverse approaches. In training, it serves both as a practical manual and as a bridge between theory and daily practice.

Keltner, D., Haidt, J. «Approaching Awe: A Moral, Spiritual, and Aesthetic Emotion.» 2003 and later review works.

Keltner and Haidt develop the concept of awe as a distinct emotion linked to experiences of vastness, connectedness, and «out-of-time» states. Empirical work suggests that awe can expand perspective, reduce self-focus, and strengthen a sense of meaning. Clinically, awe-inducing practices (art, nature, ritual) can be used as ingredients in reducing stress and restoring a sense of connection. Methodologically, it is important to integrate such experiences into treatment plans in a controlled, non-romanticised way, as specific, safe interventions rather than as an end in themselves.

Libet, B., Gleason, C., Wright, E., Pearl, D. «Time of Conscious Intention Relative to Onset of Cerebral Activity (Readiness Potential).» Brain, 1983.

Libet’s experiment is one of the most discussed empirical studies on free will and prior brain activity. He showed that the readiness potential begins before participants report a conscious intention to act. This raised the question of whether conscious intention truly initiates action or merely registers a process already underway. For psychotherapy, this is an empirical signal that many processes in the present are unconscious and precede awareness; therapists must consider pre-activations when working with impulses and automatisms. In training, Libet’s study is used to discuss limits of intervention, responsibility, and the treatment of automated reactions.

Panksepp, J. Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions. 1998.

Panksepp elaborates primary emotional systems (SEEKING, FEAR, RAGE, etc.) that underlie emotional responding and shape the basic tone of present experience. His work explains why particular states (fear, curiosity, joy) dominate the «now» and how they drive behaviour. Practically, therapists must consider these primary systems in planning interventions: some techniques activate SEEKING (motivation), others down-regulate FEAR (soothing). In education, Panksepp is a key source for integrating the neurobiology of emotion with therapeutic strategy.

Porges, S. W. The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. 2011.

Porges’ polyvagal theory offers a model of how the autonomic nervous system, via different branches of the vagus nerve, supports modes of social engagement, mobilisation, and shutdown. It explains why a sense of safety (social engagement) facilitates stable presence in the moment, whereas threat activation narrows temporal focus and increases reactivity. Clinically, the theory provides tools for working with regulation (safety cues, prosodic interventions, breath work) and for reading bodily markers of presence. In training, polyvagal theory is best paired with concrete techniques for restoring «I am here» as a physiological state.

Schacter, D. L. Searching for Memory: The Brain, the Mind, and the Past. 1996.

Schacter explores the reconstructive nature of memory and its neurobiological foundations. He details the «seven sins of memory» – distortions that therapists must bear in mind. The book is useful for explaining errors in recollection, limitations of episodic reconstruction, and therapeutic work with «memories that create meaning». For our topic, it clarifies how memories shape interpretations of current events and emotional responses in the present.

Schacter, D. L., Addis, D. R., Buckner, R. L. «Remembering the Past to Imagine the Future: The Prospective Brain.» Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2007.

This review shows that neural networks involved in remembering are also used to construct the future – memory and prospection rely on shared infrastructure. It provides a theoretical basis for the idea that the present is simultaneously saturated with echoes of the past and the charge of the future, and that changes in memory alter future projections. Clinically, work with memories and with imagined futures are mutually reinforcing processes; interventions in one field have effects in the other.

Soon, C. S., Brass, M., Heinze, H.-J., Haynes, J.-D. «Unconscious Determinants of Free Decisions in the Human Brain.» Nature Neuroscience, 2008.

This fMRI study extended Libet’s line of research, showing that patterns of brain activity could predict a participant’s choice seconds before conscious awareness. The findings expand the view that many «decisions» are prepared in the brain long before verbalisation. Clinically, they reinforce the idea that interventions focused solely on «conscious change of thinking» overlook a broad layer of preconscious predispositions. Yet the data do not negate the effectiveness of control-enhancing methods (anchoring, attention training, re-labelling), which can modify the probability of actions via self-regulation.

Chapter 8. The Future: Foresight, Anticipation, and the Sciences of the Future

Brief Chapter Summary

The future is treated here not as something abstract «waiting around the corner,» but as a field of sensations, images, and actions that is already partially present in the now – within individual intuitions, collective culture, and technical signals. The chapter examines several paradigms: neuroscientific (the prospective brain, episodic future thinking), cognitive (anticipation of behavior), philosophical (competing ontologies of time), methodological (scenario planning, futures studies), and parapsychological (research on precognition).

The central idea is to shift from a simple «attempt to predict» toward studying how the future is already reflected in the present and how these reflections can be systematized and interpreted (including the «ASC + AI» approach and the hypothesis of the condensate of temporal crystallization).

Key Concepts

– Precognition – the phenomenon of seemingly knowing about events in advance, without an obvious causal basis in the present.