Spiral Time

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Spiral Timeor Ecological Time Theory,

Its Implications for Behavior

by don the scientist

November-December 1994

Introduction

This Notebook examines the Ecological Time Theory and its implications for behavior.

First we make some observations, form some hypothesis, then test these hypothesis in

some casual experiments. This leads to the formulation of the Ecological Time Theory.

We then explore the implications of the theory, which include multi-dimensional time,

with the corresponding idea of Time Density. Then we explore the philosophical

implications of multi-dimensional time, examining differences between free will anddeterminism. Finally we examine the implications for behavior. First we look at abusive

relationships, then at the creative life style. Listed below are the parts with the pages

that they start.

1. The Observations ..........................................................................................1

2. Initial Interpretations....................................................................................7

3. The Theory of Ecological Time....................................................................12

4. Philosophy: Free Will, Determinism, & Time Momenta.........................22

5. Directions & Applications............................................................................30Summary & Conclusions .................................................................................35


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1. The Observations

A. Initial Observation: Waiting & Creativity Don't Conflict

Observational Overview

Before any theory can be formed observations need to be made. The observations can be

from day to day life. The observations can also be made from experiments. Einstein

made observations from Michelson and Morley's experiment which helped him form

his special theory of relativity. Their experiment was not meant to support or disprove

Einstein's theory, but he observed the results and made his hypothesis and theory based

partially on their results. In the same way the hypotheses and theories that we are

proposing have nothing to do with the thrust of the following experiment, but the

results of the experiment pointed the way. Now onto the experiment.

The Fuzzy Experiment

Briefly I took a human being, myself. I observed myself. "The unexamined life is not

worth living." I generated some fuzzy data from my self-observations over many years.

(See Fuzzy Data Notebook for the supporting theory.) This data consisted of daily

readings of hours spent on different activities. The daily readings were averaged over a

month and then correlated across each activity. (See The Experiment Notebook for a

more complete explanation.) The results were very surprising, to say the least. This

notebook deals with only one implication of the data, the spiral nature of time.

Notation:

Before proceeding a brief note of notation: whenever I refer to a set of data that is

related to an activity, I will use a capital letter to begin the word. For example, Sleep

refers to the data that has been accumulated under the word Sleep, while sleep refers to

the act of semi-unconscious rest that each of us participate in every day. On a more

general level, capitalized words will tend to signify terms that are defined

mathematically or that have a distinct value or meaning.


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Expectations

One of the main reasons that I began accumulating data in the first place in the late

1970s was to find out about how different activities affected each other. Specifically I

was interested in the interaction between waiting tables and my creative output. The

creative side was a conglomerate of activities, including Writing, Science, & Art. I was

interested in whether the effect of waiting tables upon my creative side was positive,

negative, or non-existent. Secretly I expected that the effect was negative.

Definition: Effect

I defined effect as the correlation between two sets of data over an identical time. A

negative effect would be a negative correlation. A positive effect would be a positive

correlation. No effect would result from no correlation. A special non-linear relation

would yield a Zero Correlation!?! (More about the theoretical underpinnings of thisunusual concept in the Zero Correlation Notebook.)

Hypothesis

So my first hypothesis was that Waiting tables, the data associated with restaurant

work, would be inversely proportional to Creative Time, the data associated with my

creation time. My hypothesis was that the more time I spent waiting tables, the less time

I would spend creating and vice versa. Like every artist I assumed that my day job was

getting in the way of my creative side.

The Results or Contrary to Expectations

I was surprised to find that, contrary to expectations, Waiting was very lightly

correlated with my Creative side. My Creative side was defined as the activities made

up of Writing, Computing, Music & Art. Surprise of surprises, Waiting had a small

positive correlation with Computing, Music and Art, and a zero correlation with

Writing. So my initial hypothesis, that Waiting & Creative time were negatively

correlated, had to be abandoned. See graph below.


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Activity Correlation Graph: Waiting * The Rest, 1989-1992

The graph is based upon the correlation of monthly averages across 19 activities from

1989->1992. This graph shows how 18 of the activities were correlated with Waiting

tables. It is easy to see that the Creative Activities interact little, if at all, with Waiting.However some other interactions are quite strong, which led to my second observation.

B. Observation 2: Waiting Competes with Night Activities

Double take: Waiting competes with evening activities

While my intial hypothesis had to be rejected, I observed something very interesting. I

noticed that Waiting seemed to be strongly but negatively correlated with activities that

occurred in the evening, i.e. Kids, Talking, Viewing & Sleep. Waiting is also an evening

activity. Below is a diagram which roughly charts the time period of the day when eachactivity was engaged in.


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Daily Time Allocation Graph

The graph below shows the approximate times during the day that each activity is

participated in.

Notice how the activities which interact most strongly with Waiting are the ones in its

same daily time zone. Notice also how the Creative activities exist in a different time

zone and they interact insignificantly with Waiting.

Making Connections: Day competes with Day, Night with Night

Waiting seems to have a strong negative correlation with other activities in its same

time zone, i.e. evening, while it has virtually no correlation with the other activities in adifferent time zone, i.e. creative daytime activities. Waiting seems to be primarily

competing with activities in its same time slot. There seems to be little interaction

between the daytime activities and waiting tables, a nighttime activity. What happens

during the day seems to have very little effect upon what happens at night, at least for

the category of Waiting tables.


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C. The January Observation: Waiting Assists Creativity

Jewelry competes with Waiting on an Annual level

Finally Jewelry time, the major interacter with Waiting, -30%, consists primarily of

jewelry books. Jewelry books are usually done in January when waiting tables slowsdown substantially. Let's look at January as a good test case of what happens when

Waiting hours are reduced substantially.

A Short Study of Activity Changes in January 1991->1994

Between 1991 & 1994 I averaged 1.43 hours per day less work in January than the

Waiting Average of the preceding month. Where did this approximately 1 1/2 hours

per day go? As suspected it did not go to the Creative time complex. Instead of

increasing Creative time, Creative side actually went down 0.35 Hours. The complex of

evening activities, Talking, Sleep, Viewing, & Kid Time logged an increase of 0.67 hoursover this same period. The big gainer, however, was my other Activities in the Work

Complex {See Bundled Trees Notebook}, i.e., Jewelry, Books & Home, which increased

by 1.23 Hours per day. The Physical Time was virtually unaffected at 0.05 Hours

increase. Contradictorily adding 45 hours of time to my month of January by reducing

Waiting time actually decreased the number of hours of Creative time by 10 hours.

Other types of Work activities and Evening activities filled in the added hours and

more, taking up 1.90 hours per day, almost 60 hours extra for the month. Working less,

in this case, did not add more time to the creative day, but actually subtracted from it.

Working less in the evening instead added extra evening hours and other types of work

hours.


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Two Faulty Hypotheses

Before I had begun this study I would have hypothesized that with the reduction of

Waiting hours, Creative time would soar. But under the implications of the prior results

I would have hypothesized that when Waiting hours shrunk that Nighttime activities

would rise and Creative activities would remain the same. Both hypothesis missed the

mark.

A Personified Hypothesis: Waiting, the Policeman

A description that would more accurately reflect January's data follows. Waiting

maintains a balance of activities so that creativity can flourish. He acts like a policeman

keeping the other activities in check. When he leaves, the other rowdy evening activities

expand beyond the scope of the area that Waiting abandoned and dominate Creativity

pushing her back, making her shrink. Creativity doesn't flourish in the absense ofWaiting and instead is abused by other runaway activities. But enough of this

mythology, let us try to understand some mechanisms.

Beginning Time-Ecology

Emerging from these observations is the idea of Time Ecology. Just as each creature

competes for its ecological space and time niche, so does each activity seem to compete

for its own unique time niche. The concept of Time Ecology helps to explain the

observations we have just made. It explains why Waiting and Creative time don't

compete, different time ecologies. It also partially explains the January phenomenon,unrestrained activities expanding beyond their borders. To understand Time Ecology,

however, let us look at its opposite. Let us look at the misconceptions that created the

faulty hypothesis. But first let us look at the perception of time from a historical

perspective.


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2. Initial Interpre ta tions

A. A Historical Perception of Time

In the beginning

Initially time just was. For the baby, day & night, winter & summer are all the same.

The young child, however, very quickly begins to perceive the day & night cycle. Before

they reach school the seasonal cycles are observed. Part of this is social; part

physiological. The child experiences the repeating birthday parties, Xmas celebrations

and other annual holidays. The child also perceives the repeating cycles of weather

patterns that have an annual cycle. The daily and annual cycles are both based upon

natural phenomenon. Then the child enters school and becomes very aware of the

weekly cycle. This is a purely social cycle, whose significance will be examined a little

later. {Also see Emptiness Principle Notebook.} Also the maiden becomes a woman andbecomes very aware of her somewhat lunar cycle.

The Life Cycle & Expanding Potentials for Consciousness

As the child grows older he begins to perceive the life cycle. He sees children younger

than himself, getting older. He sees older people dieing and quickly realizes that he too

is part of this cycle. The growing awareness of larger and larger cycles expands the

humans' potential for imagination. "As I grow older, I become aware of more and

longer cycles that I wasn't aware of before. Therefore it is likely that there are many

cycles that I am still not aware of." This is a simple logical progression.

Time Lines & Time Circles

When a point is on a big circle, it views itself as upon a straight line. Witness human

beings upon the planet Earth for a 100,000 years believing the Earth was flat, because of

their limited perspective.

With a more global perspective comes the idea of cycles. This is quite evident in the

natural order with days, lunar cycles, and annual cycles.


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Early Philosophers: "Time is circular."

Those humans with expansive insight soon extended this thought to cover every aspect

of time. "Time is all cycles," the ancient philosopher hypothesizes. Everywhere he looks

there are cycles that he is just noticing. He predicts the year. His prediction is

confirmed. The knowledge of prediction gives him power to form a religion, a society,

the same at this early time. He is a magician, a shaman, because he has knowledge that

others don't. It is based upon the idea that time is cyclical, repeating itself. A society is

formed which goes on unchanged for thousands of years. This reconfirmed the idea of

cyclical time.

Barbarian Invasions & Progress

Then came invaders from the outside followed by a cultural breakdown. The social

cycles are destroyed. These same wise men now begin to talk about socialdisintegration. But along with the idea of degeneration, comes the idea of regeneration.

Some wise men interpreted this as another cycle. Others however perceived the idea of

Progress. With each regeneration comes a step forward. Societies with great social

stability tended to view time as cyclical. From societies with a great amount of social

instability arose the idea of progress. For practical political reasons each new ruler tried

to justify his position as Progress, divine will. The idea of Progress is Linear, moving

forward in a line, going somewhere. The idea of Cycles is circular, repeating cycles,

going nowhere.

Watching the Grass Grow or Slow Changes

When the world was changing very slowly, one generation was very much like the

next, perhaps for millenium. The Global perspective seemed to point to a symmetry

with the planets. There were only cycles that were circles. Progress was slow, perhaps

imperceptible. Sleeping Beauty's country went to sleep for a century. When they woke

up, nothing had changed. It was only in the last few millenium that the radical idea of

Progress was introduced. As is normal with Homo Sapiens Sapiens we seized so

heavily upon the idea of linear Progress that we threw away the notions of repeating

cycles as a primitive, superstitious idea. The Dialectic: Thesis->Cycles, Anti-Thesis-

>Progress, Synthesis->Cyclical Progress.


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B. A Time Battle & Resolution

Competing Views of Time

These linear and cyclical view of time still compete. The native American Indians

viewed time in a circular fashion. We, of the Euro-Biblical cultural, tend to view time asa line. (We even use the word timeline not timecircle, or timespiral.)

Different Perspectives on Time

In moving along a large spiral, one perceives only a line. Taking a grander perspective

above the spiral, one only sees a circle. Taking a upward and sideways step we finally

see the whole spiral. Time is of a linear, circular, and spiral nature. Both-And rather

than Either-Or. Time can have both a linear and circular component.

The Spiral Encompasses the Line and the Circle

Rather than moving either linearly or circularly, time can move both linearly and

circularly, if it flows in a spiral fashion. Viewing time as moving in a spiralencompasses both a linear and circular time perception. It is moving forward and

cycling around simultaneously. We, moderns, are beginning to merge the two

perspectives of time. We begin to visualize Time as a Spiral Helix.


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C. Misconceptions & Ecological Time

Cultural Preconceptions

Now we can return to the root of the misconceptions concerning the first false

hypothesis. Coming from the Euro-Biblical culture, I perceived myself in the progress oflinear time. I assumed that if a substantial number of hours were dumped into a 24 hour

day that creativity would expand to fill the gap. I assumed that adding hours to my day

would automatically increase my creative output, the perennial artistic fantasy. Not so,

as seen from our previous observations above.

Summary of where we are now in time

First comes linear time. Time is a line. Then comes the idea that many phenomenon

repeat themselves regularly over time. Time becomes a circle. Third comes the idea of

Progress. We are moving forward through our Time Line. The concept of Progress

initially looked down upon the Time Cycle. Our Western culture tends to emphacize

the moving ahead and deemphacizes the cycles. But the cycles are there so the

inevitable merger of Time LInes and Time Circles leads to the Time Spiral.

Technologically superior cultures tend to focus upon Time as a forward moving line,

while unchanging cultures tend to focus upon Time as a circle.

The Ecological Time View

The ecological time view is a little different. From the view point of Time Ecology it was

foolish of me to think that cutting out my nighttime work would increase my daytime

creative output. It would be like thinking that eliminating day time predators would

make it easier upon nocturnal creatures. In our case, eliminating our night time

predator, Waiting, disturbed the ecological balance, allowing other creatures to grow

beyond their time zone, eventually interfering with the day time creature, Creativity.


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Time Ecology predicts how to increase productivity

The Theory of Time Ecology predicts that if someone wants to increase the quantity of

potentially creative hours in the 24 hour day, then most effectively one must cut a

behavior or activity that competes with the Creative time slot. Ecological Time Theory

predicts that random cutting of activity hours from the 24 hour day would not

necessarily increase creative time. In the above study cutting activity hours actually

decreased creative time. It was as if the activities correlated with Waiting grew way

outside their normal boundaries without Waiting there to hold them back. Time

Ecology predicts that to increase Creative Time, one must cut an activity that competes

with the creative activities time zone. Cutting cannot be just generally from the day

itself but must be specific to the time zone of the activity. The above study is a good

example of this phenomenon.


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3. The Theory of Ecological Time

A. New Ground: Time has two dimensions

Intro

This notebook developes the slightly different concept of Time Ecology. The author is

not attached to any idea of truth but instead explores the implications of Time Ecology.

What is the theory of Time Ecology? What does it predict? Also explored is how Time

Ecology differs from traditional interpretations of time.

Basic Postulate of Time Ecology & Initial implications of Time Slots

The basic postulate or statement of Time Ecology is that different activities compete for

different time slots. Just as daytime and nighttime creatures are somewhat separated in

terms of their competition, so are daytime and nighttime activities. This implies that

each time slot has a life of its own, taking into account that adjacent time periods bleed

into each other or sometimes expand beyond their territory. The idea that each time slot

has an existance of its own, gives rise to the idea that time moves vertically as well as

forward. Nightime moves vertically ahead somewhat independent of daytime in terms

of activities.

Implications of Competing Activities or Vertical Time Density

The idea of competing activities yields the idea of independent existance for each

activity. What does it mean for an activity to have an independent existance? Becauseeach activity exists in a time slot, not independent from it, its characterization comes

from how much it exists in this time slot. In Time Ecology activities are characterized by

the density of their vertical time flows. In Ecological Time an Activity is characterized

by its Vertical Time Density. (Its Horizontal Time Density is always 100% as long as it

exists. Horizontal Time Density only has to do with existance and non-existance.)


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Two Dimensional Time

Because Ecological Time has a vertical and horizontal component, Time becomes two-

dimensional. See Diagram below. Remember that this is not a static cylinder. It is a

growing spiral, moving ever upwards within its repeating cycles. If someone pulled on

the line, it would turn into one line not many.

At every point on the line there is a forward momentum and a upward momentum. The

forward momentum cannot be denied, because of our nature as beings in the space-time

continuum. We have an inability to move forwards and backwards through time. The

upward momentum, however, has strength but can be resisted. This upward

momentum is the topic of this notebook.


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A Time Sausage

Let us interpret the above graph from the perspective of the 24 hour day. A succession

of days can be viewed as a continuous spiral with similar times hooked end to end.

Midnight of Day 1 is connected to midnight of Day 2, which is connected to midnight of

Day 3, and so on. Each point in the day acquires an upward momentum associated with

the time of day. This is complemented by the ever present forward linear momentum.

This is demonstrated in the diagram below.

In terms of behavior, the theory of Time Ecology states that time does not only flow

evenly forward, with one activity connecting continously to the next. The theory of

Time Ecology states that Time acquires a vertical momentum associated with behavior

as well.


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B. The Glue of Time: Existance, Memory, Computation

Existance binds horizontal Time.

According to our postulates, time acquires two dimensions. What holds these

dimensions together? Existance itself holds the horizontal dimension of time together.What is the glue that gives time its vertical component? What sticks an upper cycle of

the spiral to a lower cycle in the spiral? The vertical dimension is held together

primarily through Memory. Memory is the ability of a three-dimensional creature to

pretend he is four dimensional by mentally moving through time.

Memory is the glue that binds vertical Time.

The idea of learning from experience is based upon the idea that the individual will

come upon a similar experience again and will act accordingly. Purely physical objects

don't learn from experience and instead always obey Newton's laws of motion. Live

creatures can however learn from experience and thereby modify their behavior.

Matter Has no Memory or only Conscious Life has Memory

A Distinguishing feature between conscious Life and Matter is the aspect of memory.

Matter doesn't use its memory of the past to make choices. A projectile following

Newton's laws of motion has no memory of where it was yesterday and what it does

today will only depend on Newton's laws of motion but will not depend upon what it

experienced the last three Mondays. Consciousness is predicated upon Memory. Hence

the response of conscious life's to its environment is integrally related to cyclical

patterns based upon memory. Memory is a key ingredient in future responses.

Computational ability is another type of Glue

Obviously some of these cycles only apply to the human species, i.e. week and month.

What is the human glue that turns these artificial time limits into something real? What

sticks one Monday to the next Monday? There are two factors: Memory and the ability

to Compute. Many creatures have memory but humans have an incredible ability to

compute which has given us an evolutionary advantage. {See Boredom PrincipleNotebook.}


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C. Time Density

Intro

With the concept of Ecological Time comes the idea of Time Density and Momentum.

Time acquires a cyclical density independent of its linear component. Time mustinterpreted in more than one dimension. Normally time is given only one component.

This is because one component is all that is necessary when dealing with physical

objects, which are characterized by Dead Data Streams. (See Data Stream Momentum

Notebook for a greater explanation.)

Time Density: the linear component

Our time spiral collects density over duration. In the linear component, time goes on,

but doesn't collect density. Certain acute events, breaking bones, job loss, death, have a

linear effect, continuous and forward. But even these acute events are inevitably

subsumed by the cyclical spiral nature of time. After the pain has diminished and the

healing has begun the broken bone only effects the life when the cycle comes up that is

impacted by the broken bone, i.e. perhaps the sports cycle. The Sleep cycle is uneffected.

Similarly the person who loses their day job is still able to participate in their normal

evening and weekend activities, it is the workdays that are majorly affected by the loss.

This is when the emptiness can't be dashed. After the immediate grieving of a death to a

loved one, the time the pain is most acute is when the cyclical nature of time returns to a

spot where the deceased was regularly present. During other types of activities the painquickly vanishes or is at least highly diminished.


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Time Density: the cyclical component

While the linear component of time does not collect density, the cyclical component

does. Each time the spiral comes around, the time spot accumulates vertical density. We

think that the vertical density is related to series of measures, decaying averages,

decaying standard deviations, and decaying impact scores. (See Decaying Measures

Notebook for the supporting theory.)

Data Stream Momentum

Once a density is generated in any time cycle, it possesses a momentum, which ala

Newton, wants to perpetuate itself. {See Data Stream Momentum Notebook for

theoretical background.} Hence on an annual cycle, if a family has vacationed in the

Yucatan every fall, once fall comes around the family collectively yearns to go to the

Yucatan. The hardest time for an ex-addict of any kind is when the cycle comes around

in his life that he used to participate in his addiction. The off times are easy. A Xmas

density has been generated for most of us Westerners that is hard to suppress.


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D. Change in Linear Time vs Change in Spiral Time

Change

This section will discuss the implications of change in one dimensional Linear time.

Change in one dimensional Linear Time has to with Conversion, i.e. major impacts.Change in two-dimensional Spiral Time has to do with frequent Repetitions.

Linear Time: Change = Conversion

Because Westerners are taught that Time is linear, consciously we don't acknowledge

time density. Because of this we tend to believe in one time conversions. If someone

understands then one can immediately change, ala Freud. The diagram below shows

this concept. Individual A moves along his life path. Individual B comes at him at right

angles, impacting A with an immediate and complete religious, psycho-spiritual

conversion. The world is saved. The lamb has returned to the flock. His conversion was

instant, immediate and permanent.

Wrong! Would that life was so easy.


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Spiral Perspective: Change from Practice

With a spiral view of time and time density, the impact is just as strong but only has an

effect on the time immediately surrounding it. Not only that but unless the impact is

repeated, its effect diminishes with each new cycle. Behaviorists are well aware of this

phenomenon. They work on changing underlying cyclical patterns rather than

focussing upon instant conversion.

With the ecological view of time change occurs through repetition and practise not

through a one time impact. The Repetition or Practise is necessary to change the time

momentum that is in place. Once the practise has momentum then it carries the

individual along. This is the positive side of time momentum. It takes Will to change the

Flow, which is the time momentum.

Unsubstantiated Speculation about Will & Flow

Back to our original example. If the extra hours freed up by reducing Waiting are

consciously used directly for creativity, then Creative Time would increase. But this

takes an effort of Will rather than an easy Flow. The Flow simply accentuates Time

densities already in place while Will creates new time densities. Effort is required. Effort

requires Will. (See Data Stream Momentum Notebook.)


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E. Postulates

1. Quantifiable Behavior, activities, exists independent of source.

In some strange ways this is the most controversial of all the postulates. Everyone

believes in behavior. But most people don't think in terms of behavior separate from thesource. Obviously for a behavior to exist it must have a source. But the postulate here is

that this activity acquires an existance separate and independent of the source. This is

not to say that the Source does not have an effect upon behavior. The Source has an

effect on behavior and behavior has an effect upon the Source, but they also exist

independently. My wife and I exist independently although we can have an effect upon

each other.

2. Activities exist through Time independent of continuity.

If behavior exists independent of Source, how does it exist? It exists through Time this

postulate asserts. What does this mean? Most things exist continuously through time

without interruption. Those things that have an interrupted temporal existance don't

really exist in every day thought. Anything that moves in and out of existance is

brought into existance by a Source and so is linked to that Source as an attribute rather

than having an existance of its own. The first postulate asserted an independent

existance. This postulate asserts that these behavior exist thriough time independent of

continuity. How can they do that?

3. Activities achieve a density from partially existing through Time.

Activities don't exist continuously, but exist partially. They don't cover the whole day

only part of a day. Their partial existance acquires Time Density.

4. Activities acquire a partial momentum and seek to perpetuate themselves.

The partial existance yields a Time Density which has momentum. Because of this

momentum the activity seeks to perpetuate itself. This momentum will carry the object

forward unless another force acts upon it. Things that exist wholly, not partially, have

100% Time Density and therefore 100% Momentum. Activities have a partial existance,a partial Time Density, and a partial momentum. The partial momentum seeks to

perpetuate itself.


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5. Real takes precedence over Partial. Partial Momentum Guides.

Because partial time momentum is discontinous, when it meets up with real

momentum it evaporates. The real momentum of Death destroys all partial time

momentums immediately, without effort, maybe a little twitching is all. Real

Momentum always takes precedence over partial. Partial momentum guides real

momentum but does not dominate it.


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4. Philosophy: F ree Will, Determinism, & Time Momenta

A. Counter Intuitive

Why do we have misconceptions? or Our Perceptions deceive us

We perceive time in a linear fashion, experience it that way, and so assume that time

behaves that way. Instead the theory of Time Ecology states that time has both a

horizontal and vertical component. The horizontal component is our irresistible time

line. The vertical component has to do with the momentum of cyclical, spiral time.

Behavioral Time moves through many types of cyclical spirals: the daily and yearly,

natural astronomical cycles; also the weekly and monthly cycles, human created time

cycles.

We are Cyclical Creatures

We are daily, weekly, monthly, annual creatures who organize our lives in cyclical

patterns. Although we experience time as a continuous dimension, one moment

following the moment before, instinctually we organize our lives as if time was cyclical.

The most primary time cycle is bound by the 24 hour day. Another major time cycle is

the year. Both of these are natural cycles, one based upon the spinning of the Earth

upon its axis, the other upon the revolution of the Earth around the Sun. The other 2

major cycles, weekly and monthly originated around lunar cycles but have assumed a

life of their own, independent of the Moon. We live cyclical lives revolving every day

around the wake-sleep cycle. Each week is cycles around weekends and workdays.Each year is organized around seasonal activities. Instinctively we seem to organize our

life in cyclical patterns. These cycles transcend the one dimensionality, the linear

continuity, of time.


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Mind Linear: Behavior Spiral

As is usual the underpinnings of common sense are trans-rational. While we behave as

if time is cyclical, our mind tends to think about time in a linear fashion because we

experience it that way. Altho' we think in terms of Time Line we behave as if it were a

Time Spiral instead. While our minutes and hours are connected continuously also our

midnights are connected, midnight of the previous day with midnight of the following

days, Mondays to Mondays, Januarys to Januarys. January is connected loosely to

February and December but is connected more integrally to the preceding and

following Januarys. Monday is connected loosely with Sunday and Tuesday in our

continuous time flow, but is more connected with other Mondays. More people die on

Mondays, not because of Sunday or Tuesday but because of a long stack of stressful

Mondays piled on top of each other. So each day, week, year, spirals around

continuously looping back on its time cycle. Even tho' our minds think that time islinear, we behave as if time is spiraling back upon itself. We have daily, weekly, and

yearly time spiral cycles that we participate in.In other words, we behave as if time is

wrapped upon back upon itself, with similar times of the day, week, or year connected

together,while we experience time in a continuous way, on a minute to minute basis.

Civilized Brain vs Primitive Brain

Inherent in most people's experience is the idea that cycles repeat themselves. So in the

background of our superstitious minds is the idea that a cycle will repeat itself

sometime again and that the next time it does, that we will be prepared. Our civilized

mind denies the notion of cycles and instead views cycles as mere happenstance. There

is the civilized notion that Man's mind puts Order upon the Chaos of existance in order

to shield himself from the Nothingness. So our 'primitive' mind still believes in

repeating cycles while our 'civilized' brain is convinced that we are only seeing order

because of our craving for order.


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B. A Funny Juxtaposition of Two Ideas

or Linear Time Again

Under the concept of Linear Time any response is possible at any time. There is no

sense of rhythmic repetition. At any moment, an individual could go through acomplete conversion and do an about face in his life. This notion is exemplified in the

Bible heritage by the example of Saul's conversion into Paul on the road to Damascus.

One day he is helping to stone the Christians, the next day after a sign from God, and

an instantaneous conversion to Christianity, he becomes the best PR-man, spokesman,

for Christianity that any religion has ever had. Under the concept of Linear Time, the

idea of limiting possibilities makes no sense. We, of course, learn from experience but at

any time we can change. All we have to do is to decide to do it and it's done. These

concepts of narrowing potentials is absurd, under the concept of linear time. By the factof living we operate under Will and any notion of being limited by the past is

disregarded. 'Why the past is finished. How could it have any effect upon the present or

future?'

Science & Predestination

Under the idea of Science in its extreme sense, there is no need to speak about

possibilites because there are none. "Why if there were a big enough computer and all

the factors could be charted in, we could predict the weather a year in advance." Is a

classic Science comment. The idea of Predestination is a religious manifestation of thisscientific idea. If man could understand the planets and their workings, then God could

of course understand Man and his workings. There are some invisible laws at work

which determine every single behavior. So the Scientists understand the Physical

Universe and God understands Man. It has been preordained by a bunch of divine

Equations. God gave the universe a push and then stood back, watching it unravel,

knowing exactly what was going to happen because they were his laws, that he had set

up.


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The Juxtaposition

Under the concept of Linear Time, the possibilities are infinite because the past ceases to

exist. Under the concepts of the Physical Science/Predestination polarity the

possibilities are singular, one. If there are infinite possibilites or only one possibility

then the idea of probabilities becomes obsolete and there is no need to proceed further.

However if the truth is between the two, if the truth is that there are many possibilites,

not one or infinite, then time is a spiral with density and momentum by the laws of

Mathematics, which we shall soon see.

Spiral Time Momentum

Spiral Time Momentum incorporates the concept of Will with the Scientific/Religious

idea that all has been pre-ordained by the Prime Mover. At each moment one creates

time density. Hence when the cycle returns, a momentum has been created which

pushes the individual along, against his will, so to speak. But if the individual exerts his

Will, he can create a new time density, more to his liking. Time momentum carries us

along, independent of our Will. But our Will can change the momentum.


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C. A Brief Digression into the difference between Fate, Destiny, Will & the Gods.

Fate

Along with the idea of the Prime Mover comes the idea of Fate, which has been around

at least as long as the Greeks. The Gods decreed your Fate which the Oraclesinterpreted (ambiguously) and there was no way of avoiding your Fate. Oedipus was

the classic case of Fate. It was decreed at his birth that he would murder his father and

marry his mother. Altho' his father and mother did all they could to avoid this

occurance, because of Fate, it happened anyway. An underlying current in our

language acknowledges the workings of Fate. 'It was fated to be. We were fated to meet.

A fate worse than death.' These are all common expressions alluding to the mysterious

but divine unraveling of our fate. A word associated with those who have embraced

this concept is fatalistic, which implies the grim acceptance of one's fate no matter whatit may bring.

Destiny

A similar but distinctly different concept is Destiny. 'To live up to one's Destiny. He had

a great Destiny. It was her Destiny to bear the Christ-Child.' Fate is almost

interchangeable with Destiny in these phrases, but not quite. No one lives up to his

Fate. Fate is what happens to you. Your Destiny is what you accomplish, achieve, or

earn. In some senses Destiny seems to have also been decreed by the Gods. But while

Fate seems inevitable, Destiny seems to be the best end that the individual couldachieve under the circumstances. 'Tripped up by Fate trying to accomplish his Destiny.'

'His Destiny was thwarted by Fate.'

Will

Destiny is your greatest possibility which Fate gets in the way of. Will is what one uses

to overcome Fate and achieve one's Destiny. Achilles was the classic case. The Oracle

proclaimed that Achilles could lead a quiet life and live to a ripe old age or he could go

into battle, die young, and live forever in men's minds. He had a choice. 'He

accomplished his Destiny against all odds.'


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Forgetting to say thanks or cursed by the gods

According to Greek mythology, each human has his destiny given to him by the gods.

However if the individual forgets to pay his proper respect to the gods for blessing him

thus, then he is cursed and is fated for destruction. Without proper respect for the gods

an individual's destiny is aborted. The idea is that the human can accomplish much

with the assistance of the Gods. But if he exerts his will, independent of the gods, then

he is faced with many divine obstacles. The gods send the Furies against the individual

who curses or forgets the gods.

Traditional Free Will or Infinite Choice

'Send him to jail. He had a choice. He broke the law. Man always has the choice to do

good or bad.' 'All he needs to do is stop drinking. He has no Will Power.' The idea

behind this common sensical way of thinking is that 'man is the master of his destiny orfate.' Actually under this way of thinking there is no such thing as fate or destiny. Man

has the free will to make of himself what he pleases. Examples are thrown out of

individuals rising out of the ghetto, rising above their 'fate'. 'Consequences for

behavior.'

Victims

The psychologists many times portray the individual as a victim of environmental

factors. The idea of victim is based upon the Science/Predestination notion of no

choices. The advocates of Free Will, however ignore any environmental factors sayingthat it is just a matter of Will Power, Darwin's survival of the fittest, because man

always has the choice between Good & Evil. The theory of spiral Time momentum

predicts that only by changing underlying time patterns will a real change occur.

Psuedo-Scientific Explanation of Will

One Wills beneath the limits of the Uncertainty Principle. Will acts orthogonally upon

the space-time continuum, to effect past, present and future. But Will is a muscle that

needs to be exercised and atrophies with no use. {More on this in the Uncertainty

Principle & Behavior Notebook.}


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Summary & Lead in

We've seen how the different ideas of time operate in our society. We've also seen how

Free Will and Predestination merge in popular thinking. Most common people act as if

both will and environmental factors play a part. Most people act as if all ideas are true

sometimes, holding mutually contradictory ideas simultaneously, sounds like modern

physics. If pinned down, an individual will retreat to 'Either/Or' but the individual

behaves as if 'Both/And.' But enough of philosophy, back to some numbers.

D. Our Assumptions

Predestination Out

We will ignore the concept of pre-destination because all dialog for change is

considered trivial under its precepts. If it is all predetermined, all one needs to do is to

accept one's fate, one's position or role in life. There is no need for change for all has

been predetermined. One of the primary thrusts of this study is to discover the

parameters of human behaviorial change.

The Science Myth

Remember the idea of predestination and the Prime Mover is also at the base of the

Science Myth. Many high level scientists still propound this view, or at least, suggest its

validity. Many equally high level equations are based upon an initial point and some

interrelated functions. Archimedes said give me a lever long enough and I can move the

Earth. Modern scientists say give me the starting point and some divine equations and I

can tell you where anyone or anything will be at any point in time. Although possible,

we will assume that choice at some level exists. We are not beyond freedom & dignity .


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Our Criminal System or Absolutely Free Will Out also

While at the root of this quest is the belief in choice, we're not sure about the term Free

Will. Free implies without restriction. Although the concept of linear time implies Free

Will or Predestination, we do not believe that Will is without restriction. Instead we feel

that Will is an intrusion upon the natural course of predestination. Our criminal justice

is based upon the idea that because there is Free Will that a big enough punishment will

cause the criminal to change his ways because he has a choice. The psychologists say

that the criminal is a victim of his past, his environment. Spiral Time Theory predicts

that the Big Punishment won't work unless it is connected with changing underlying

patterns. It also predicts that counseling won't work either unless it is connected with

changing underlying patterns. The Time densities must be changed for an individual to

change. Outside forces can change an individual's Time Density but then must also

cultivate his Will so that the individual will not continue to be a Victim of his past.

Our Assumptions, Postulates

At the heart of this study is the assumption that Time is constantly developing

momentum which is being constantly challenged by Will. The developing momentum

we will call Flow. Will modifies Flow. The Experiment is about the study of the

interaction between Flow and Will. The Flow follows strict mathematical parameters

while Will disrupts these parameters in an unpredictable mathematical way (of course).


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5. Directions & Applications

A. Implications for Abusive Relations

An Abusive Cycle: No conversion

Because of the idea of time-density, the cycle tends to dominate the linear dimension.

Hence with the idea of linear time comes the idea of instantaneous conversion. A big

enough event can change someone's direction with a direct hit, sending the convertee

into another positive direction. If time were experienced in only a linear fashion, this

idea would work. Instantaneous conversion would be a reality. Unfortuneately the

instantaneous conversion occurs at only one point on the cycle, possibly changing the

density of this point in the cycle, but leaving unaffected the rest of the cycle with its

own density. So the husband beats his wife Saturday night, experiences genuine

remorse on Sunday morning, then beats her the following Saturday night, followed bythe experience of genuine remorse again on Sunday. Those who only believe in linear

time, think that perhaps the man is faking his remorse, when in actuality he is merely

following his cycle with its particular time density, which includes the abuse, the

remorse, and the repentance. If an event only occurs once, no time density is built up,

but when it occurs again and again, the density builds. The remorse, repentance, and

begging for forgiveness are all part of the cycle but have no connection with the abuse.

Because we move through time in a linear fashion, the abused tends to view the

remorse as connected with the abuse, when in actuality it is only a stage on the cycle.

Also because time is not fixed but is elastic, the cycle doesn't necessarily have the same

fixed length of time. One stage follows the next but not necessarily in the same time

frame.

Vomitting

It is just like vomitting. The temperature rises, a feeling of extreme discomfort also rises,

the vomitting occurs, followed by the extreme sense of relief and the temperature drop,

maybe even chills. After a distinct period of time the cycle repeats itself. The relief after

vomitting was directly related to the cycle and totally unrelated to religious, mental, or

physical conversion. Without the vomitting there is no relief. Without the abuse there is

no relief, no remorse, no conversion. Possibly just like vomitting, the abuse pattern can

be attenuated, but the agitation will arise with the following abuse, just as the vomitting

will always come again in the 24 hour flu. Possibly the abuser has been abused as a

child, which set up their own time density with its own momentum.


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MakeUp-BreakUp cycle

Is there no hope? Of course there is. But it has nothing to do with the remorse after the

abuse. This feels good and if anything encourages the abuse cycle. The abuse occurs,

physical or emotional, the fight, then comes the reconciliation, the break-up, make-up

cycle. Making up feels so good, that it inspires the abuser to break up again so that theycan make up. Perhaps the abuse results from the low self-esteem. 'I don't deserve to be

liked. Anyone who likes me is lying and must be tested. I will be really awful to them.

Then they will forgive me. And I will feel so good. My father would wallop me. Then

we would make up and feel so much better afterwards. I love the Make-up Break-up

cycle.'

Breaking the Cycle or Damping the Swing

The main way of breaking the cycle is to damp it all the way along. Don't encourage the

MakeUp after the BreakUp. Try to damp the agitation. Putting a lot of energy into theMakeUp furthers and accentuates the cycle. Pushing the swing one way does not slow

the swing down going the other way. As a matter of fact, the harder one pushes at the

apex the further the swing comes back. So the immediate MakeUp should be

discouraged as much as possible to discourage and damp the whole cycle. Any part of

the cycle should be damped as much as possible.

Even the outrage and fury need to be redirected

If there is outrage, anger and fury it should not be directed at the abusive individual.

This is part of the abusive cycle. The abused yells obscenities and it feels good to the

abuser because internally they feel, 'I'm no good. I deserve to be yelled at.' Then in their

cycle they will recreate the same cycle again so that they can 'get what they deserve' and

then be forgiven for it. So any part of the cycle needs to be damped in order to kill the

whole cycle. Anything that resists the cycle only gives it more energy. The Abuser

thrives off the tension and is excited by the 'realness' of the emotional responses. 'You

must care because you are mad.' So the anger, rage and frustration should be

channelled into damping, neutralizing the cycle rather than 'giving the rat what he

deserves', because this is what he wants. The Abuser wants to be punished for wrongdoing because 'he is no good.' He will misbehave again in order to be punished because

this is the cycle.


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B. Implications for the Creative Life or Each Moment of Time is Golden

Linear Time

There are many implications for the Creative Life from the notions of time density and

momentum explored above. Because each bit of temporal data creates its own timemomentum one must pay attention to each bit of time. Under the concept of linear time,

each moment only has momentum in a linear direction. One moment influences the

next but has no influence on tomorrow or next week. Major events are important

because their amplitude is so big that they influence many moments in the near future,

which ripple on into the future. With the linear notion of time, major events change our

lives and turn us in another direction. See Diagram below.

The Big events, B & C, change A's TimeLine, to move A in another direction.


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Spiral Time Density

With the idea of spiral time density, each moment has at least two aspects of

momentum, which connects naturally to the next moment, as in linear time, but more

importantly it has a cyclical momentum which has an effect on the next moment in the

Time Cycle. In other words, what one does at 8AM on Monday morning has an effect

upon the next Monday morning, which if similar has an even greater effect upon the

following Monday morning. Probably what one does on Saturday night will have much

less of an effect upon Monday morning except in the linear sense. If the subject gets

drunk Saturday night and gets sick, it will effect his Monday morning in a linear

fashion. But the Monday morning cycle is so dominant that the subject must be very

sick to miss his Monday morning cycle. If the person misses Monday morning and

there are no linear repercussions, i.e. getting fired, not having enough money, he has

created a time density for staying home Monday morning, which has its ownmomentum. So each moment of time is critically important, because it has so much

momentum in all of the temporal dimensions, of which I've mentioned four, i.e. day,

week, month, and year, but there are as many as the number of time cycles we create.

So wasted moments create wasted time momentum, not to say that we don't have the

need for empty time.

Will & Time Density

It takes Will to change Time Density. Flowing causes one to augment existing Time

Densities. Will changes the direction of Time Density. If there is a major event that

changes a life, then Will must be exerted to effectively change time densities to enforce

the Change. Without active Will the Big Event will be submerged in the pattern of

Spiral Time Density. A negative time spiral is created by Flowing into wasted time

Patterns. A positive Time Spiral is created by Willing into productive Time Patterns.

With each spiral, positive or negative, it becomes easier and easier to follow its direction

as more and more time density is created by repetition. One actually becomes addicted

to their Time Spirals. They acquire a Life of their own and cling to their existance.

Whether the person watches TV three hours/day or writes three hours/ day the senseof loss from the cessation of the activity will be similar. Each cycle of time density wants

to grow. It is only Will that keeps it under control.


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C. Notes on the Experimental Method:

A Trivial but Practical Point

On the most trivial practical level this notebook showed that general time solutions, i.e.

adding anonymous hours into a day, are ineffective ways of generating more creativetime. Specific time solutions, however, can be effective. To increase creative time, hours

must be added which can be used for creative time. A self-evident but specific

statement.

Rationalizations

The purpose of this Notebook is to point in directions. A very casual experiment has a

very interesting result, which leads to some interesting conclusions, which explain a lot

of behavior from another viewpoint. The Experiment was not set up to test the theories

set forth here; it only pointed in that direction. The experimental data is cursory at best.

However the theory explains an innumerable number of behavioral situations. Also the

theory makes many predictions which go counter to traditional behavior patterns. The

results are counter-intuitive. The theories presented herein, are another way of looking

at behavioral data. The experimental results are little unsubstantiated grains but they

open the door to another universe. Be my guest and step inside.

More Blabberings about method

The first stage in the scientific method is Observation. This notebook is only at that

stage. We are merely reporting some casual observations We then explore some theories

explaining these observations. These series of Notebooks however set up a basis for a

novel approach to these behavioral issues.

So many thoughts so little time to put them down.


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Summary & Conclusions

Summary

Section 1: the Observations

In Section 1A, we made our first casual observation that Waiting and Creative Activities

did not compete for time. This was contrary to our hypothesis. In Section 1B, we made

our 2nd observation that Waiting, a nighttime activity, seemed to compete with other

nighttime activities but not with daytime activities. In Section1C, we made the January

Observation that Waiting actually enhanced Creative Time. These observations

suggested to us that perhaps Time had more than a linear dimension.

Section 2: Initial Interpretations

Section 2A: historically speaking, after our initial spontaneous reaction to time came the

awareness that our experience of time was cyclical. Later on came the notion of Progress

and linear time. 2B: the Euro-Biblical approach favored the progress-oriented idea of

linear time while the nomadic Indians, with an unchanging world, favored the cyclical

view of time. These two world views are resolved under a spiral notion of time,

cyclically moving forward. 2C: we applied these notions to the mistaken hypothesis of

Section 1, realizing that our hypothesis was based upon our Western view of time. We

then introduced the ecological time view which was linked with spiral time. Activities

compete for time zones rather than time.


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Section 3: The Theory of Ecological Time

Section 3A explores the horizontal and vertical components of Time. The horizontal

component moves us ahead, while the vertical component connects us to the past. The

horizontal component is relentless and complete while the vertical component has a

different density for each behavior. In 3B, we see that memory and computational

ability are the glue that stick the vertical component of time together. In 3C, we discuss

the concept of Time Density. Horizontal time density is 100%, always, while the Vertical

Time Density is based upon Data Stream Momentum and varies. In 3D, we find that for

proponents of Linear Time that change is based upon a one-time Force or conversion

which changes the direction of the individual's Time-Line. For proponents of Spiral

Time, change occurs through repetition, practise. Will must be exerted to resist the

vertical Time Flow if change is needed. In 3E, we look at some underlying assumptions

of Ecological Time Theory, among which are the idea that repeated activities have apartial existance that attempt to perpetuate themselves. This partial existance leads to

virtual forces, which bow before real forces.

Section 4: Philosophy: Free Will, Determinism, & Time Momenta

4A: On a moment to moment basis we experience time linearly, continuously. On larger

time levels, we experience the cyclical nature of time. Because of our momentary

experiences we tend to think of time in a linear sense, while we behave as if time is

cyclical. 4B: The ideas of free will, predestination, are spiral time density are juxtaposed

with the latter a synthesis of the previous. 4C: This part distinguishes between Fate and

Destiny. Fate happens to someone while a Destiny is fulfilled. A victim allows his fate

to rule his life. While to achieve one's Destiny one must exert Will in conjunction with

the Divine plan, always remembering to give thanks and proper respect to the gods. 4D:

The assumption of this study is that human behavior is an interaction between Flow

and Will. Flow is the Time Density related with repeated behavior, while Will comes

from within. The Experiment is focussed upon this interaction.


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Section 5: Directions & Applications

This section deals with the implications of Spiral Time Density. Part 5A deals with the

negative density of an abusive relation, suggesting that the cycle needs to broken or

damped. Intensive counseling by itself is ineffective because it is not breaking the Time

Density. 5B: Each moment is golden because each moment begins creating it own Time

Density. The implications for the creative life are simple: Creativity comes from doing

creative activities, not from thinking about doing creative activities. 5C: This Notebook

is merely an observation with some theories to explain the observations. It is a signpost,

only, pointing the way. Read more of the Notebooks to go down the road to the study

of live phenomenon.

Conclusions

Some observations were made which contradicted the notion of linear time. To explainthese observations, we introduced the theory of Spiral or Ecological Time. With this

theory came the concepts of Time Density and Momentum. These ideas strike a middle

ground between determinism and free will. Then the concept was introduced that Time

Flow and Will interact to determine behavior. The theoretical framework behind these

concepts are dealt with in the next Notebook, Data Stream Momentum.

Documents

Spiral Time