The Roots of Hypertime
Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie September 26, 2025 DOI: 10.1515/agph-2025-0074 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that sophisticated theories of multi-dimensional time were developed by philosophers working on psychical research well before the time-travel debates of the mid-twentieth century, and that these theorists used hypertime to resolve problems with precognition. Contends that neglecting this history leaves gaps in the philosophy of time. |
Abstract
Abstract Hypertime is a theory that postulates that time has two or more dimensions. Much of the groundwork underlying current theories of hypertime in analytic philosophy is generally attributed to discussions about time travel in the second half of the twentieth century. This paper demonstrates that the historical roots of hypertime extend much further back. Drawing on recently uncovered archival documents, I demonstrate that sophisticated theories of multi-dimensional time were developed by philosophers decades before the interest in time travel took off. These pioneers of hypertime were working on psychical research: the study of psychical phenomena such as telepathy or ghosts, widely popular at the turn of the twentieth century. They developed multi-dimensional time as a tool to resolve various problems with precognition, the purported ability to see the future. I will conclude by indicating the pitfalls of neglecting this important chapter in the history of the philosophy of time.