Does “Spacetime” imply that all of time exists simultaneously in the same way that we perceive the dimensions of space to exist simultaneously?

Question

I’m trying to wrap my head around this. I perceive time as though the present moment is a wave I’m riding through space and experience. Does Spacetime, as presently understood, suggest that time is more likely an ocean that exists and is “real” stretching off towards the horizons? In other words, is the present the only thing that is real as we traverse the dimension of time? Or do the distant past and future also exist, despite my inability to experience them, just as distant points in space do?

In: 8

Answer 1

Thanks for the thoughtful and helpful answers! I think I have a better understanding that we can see backwards in time, but only travel forwards. And the opposite, to the best of our understanding, is not possible. That makes perfect sense, but the conceptual and semantic challenges are a lot for my tiny primate brain to grasp. Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply!