We Are Capable of Time Travel, Just Not How You Think

Ryan Heshmati

November 4, 2022

The possibility of time travel has fascinated society for many years, especially with science fiction writers in cult series’ like Star Trek taking the lead in creating interest. While often portrayed as individuals entering a machine to move forward and backward in time, time travel can and should be looked at another way. David Wilcock felt that “…time travel…could create a world few of us have ever dreamed of.” What if this dream world, or the various worlds considered as different stages in time, all occurred at once? Is it possible to look at social classes as these varying worlds? If this is the case, is time travel economic mobility?

Referring to individuals, cultures, or families, some often remark about living in different worlds. Contrasting spheres, like the country clubs of Beverly Hills and the cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, can be very different worlds. Even when existing together, these undeniably unique environments shape lives around them. The possibility of the coexistence of worlds of varying sophistication changes the landscape for examining time travel. Rather than a question of advanced machinery, it becomes one of the advanced and disadvantaged environments.

One need not look toward different continents, however, to seek out other worlds. Within any country, the worlds of citizens vary tremendously depending on social class. The interactions of a grocery store employee in McAllen, Texas, and an investment banker on Wall Street, seem to serve as examples. Even within the same country and period, many worlds seemingly could not be further apart. Different classes, in addition to leading very different lives, enjoy access to various levels of technology. For instance, the wealthiest in America are able to receive the newest healthcare technology. In a trickle-down effect, the lower on the ladder one goes, the older and less effective the care and technology might be.

If these assertions are accurate, it is reasonable that to “time travel” to one’s dream world, all one must be is economically mobile. To purchase and use the newest iPhones or Macbooks, one must be able to prosper economically. Otherwise, they may end up stuck in the “past,” with older devices. William Gibson contended, “The future is already here - it’s just unevenly distributed.” There is a case that the past and future both exist simultaneously today, and for one to travel forward relies not on advanced science fiction but on economic success.