Editing Time (section)

==== Cyclical views of time ====
{{See also|Wheel of time}}
Many ancient cultures, particularly in the East, had a cyclical view of time. In these traditions, time was often seen as a recurring pattern of ages or cycles, where events and phenomena repeated themselves in a predictable manner. One of the most famous examples of this concept is found in [[Hindu philosophy]], where time is depicted as a wheel called the "[[Kalachakra]]" or "Wheel of Time." According to this belief, the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction.<ref name="newman51">{{cite book |author=Newman |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iGDCQNn0C9oC |title=The Wheel of Time: Kalachakra in Context |publisher=Shambhala |year=1991 |isbn=978-1-55939-779-7 |editor=Geshe Lhundub Sopa |pages=51–54, 62–77}}</ref>

Similarly, in other ancient cultures such as those of the Mayans, Aztecs, and Chinese, there were also beliefs in cyclical time, often associated with astronomical observations and calendars.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-02-27 |title=Chichén Itzá: Venus Cycle |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/chichen-itza-venus-cycle |access-date=2024-05-08 |website=Travel |language=en |archive-date=8 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508213816/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/chichen-itza-venus-cycle |url-status=live }}</ref> These cultures developed complex systems to track time, seasons, and celestial movements, reflecting their understanding of cyclical patterns in nature and the universe.

The cyclical view of time contrasts with the linear concept of time more common in Western thought, where time is seen as progressing in a straight line from past to future without repetition.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Future: A Very Short Introduction |author1=Jennifer M. Gidley |edition= |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-19-105424-2 |page=13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I3NdDgAAQBAJ }} [https://books.google.com/books?id=I3NdDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA13 Extract of page 13] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614171103/https://books.google.com/books?id=I3NdDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA13 |date=14 June 2024 }}</ref>