A Symbolic Proposal for Subjective Time Measurement in Space Missions
Author: Jaconaazar Souza Silva
Institute: Federal Institute of Brasília – Recanto das Emas Campus
Date: April 2025
ORCID: 0009-0006-5388-8105
Abstract
This paper proposes the use of the symbolic metric Hexa (ɧ) as a phenomenological and psychological support tool for astronauts on long-duration space missions. Derived from the XChronos model — a symbolic system of measuring subjective time — Hexa is grounded in conscious attention, experiential density, and lived value. Unlike traditional metrics based on seconds or minutes, Hexa quantifies meaningful presence, offering a viable symbolic alternative for temporally distorted environments such as outer space. This article explores its philosophical, neuroscientific, and practical foundations, presenting concrete applications for astronaut life and visions for future interplanetary civilizations.
1. Introduction
In orbit or deep-space missions, astronauts undergo profound alterations in time perception. Without natural day-night cycles, the cosmic silence and artificial routines challenge the notion of linear time.
This raises the question:
What if time could be measured by the quality of lived experience, rather than by mechanical minutes?
The XChronos model, through units such as Chronons and Hexachronons, lays the symbolic foundation for this approach. Hexa (ɧ) is its expression of value: a conscious currency of experienced time.
2. Subjective Time in Space
Research with astronauts reveals:
- Distorted sense of past and future
- Psychological need for ritual and meaning
- Difficulty relating experiences to fixed timestamps
In such conditions, time ceases to be a line and becomes a field of affective meaning.
3. Hexa as a Metric of Presence
Hexa (ɧ) measures:
- Internal cycles of meaningful attention (Hexachronons)
- States of flow, epiphanies, longing, symbolic connection
- Moments that mark the soul, not the clock
A Hexa is not simply time—it is collapsed emotional value.
4. Practical Applications in Space Missions
4.1 ɧ Logbooks
Astronauts could log their days based on Hexas:
“Today, after connecting with Earth, I experienced a deep Hexachronon.”
4.2 Symbolic Validation Rituals
Moments of shared presence among crew members may be marked by symbolic exchanges of Hexas.
4.3 Post-Mission: Maps of Meaning
Upon return, the astronaut could bring a subjective timeline of the mission, marked by Hexas instead of calendar dates.
5. A Vision for Civilizations Beyond Earth
In future human settlements on other planets, Earth-based time systems may no longer serve us.
There will be a need for inner temporal languages — ways to keep the soul in motion.
Hexa (ɧ) is a symbolic seed of that new time.
A way to ensure that even among the stars, consciousness remains sovereign.
6. Conclusion
Time is not just movement — it is meaning.
In the vacuum of space, where silence is absolute, Hexa can become the voice of the soul.
Appendix: Conceptual Vocabulary
- Chronon – The smallest unit of subjectively lived time
- Hexachronon – A block of full conscious presence
- Hexa (ɧ) – Symbolic currency of experiential value
- XChronos – Symbolic model of time based on quantized conscious experience
Reference:
Souza Silva, J. (2025). Hexa (ɧ): The Currency of Conscious Time in the XChronos Model. Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15183862
https://zenodo.org/records/15226121
10.5281/zenodo.15226121