The problem is physics. When we try to model that narrative flow as a dimension of time, by treating it as measures of duration.

The reality is not so much the point of the present, moving past to future, as it is change, turning future to past. Tomorrow becomes yesterday, because the earth turns. Duration is this physical state, as the events rise and fall.

There is no literal dimension of time, because the past is consumed by the present, in order to inform and drive it. Causality and conservation of energy.

Time is an effect, like temperature, pressure, color, etc. Think frequencies and amplitudes.

Which goes to Peter Burns comment; Reality is more the thermodynamic feedback loops circulating in this physical state, than the linear progression of time.

It’s just that as mobile organisms, we experience reality as sequential flashes of perception, in order to navigate, then narrate our journeys and build civilizations out of the collected knowledge.

Which is a cycle of expanding perception and knowledge gathering, then condensing and coalescing this information into useful “signals.” Then repeat.

The process goes past to future, while the patterns generated go future to past. As consciousness goes past to future, while thoughts go future to past.

Desire and judgement. Heart and head.

Energy expanding, onto the future, as forms coalesce, then fade into the past.

Cosmic convection cycles. Like galaxies. Energy out, form in.