xxiv
In some time periods, I feel more pressure from friends to lose weight
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxv
In some time periods, I feel more pressure from my family to lose weight
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxvi
In some time periods, I feel more pressure from the media to lose weight
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxvii
In some time periods, I feel more pressure from my partner to lose weight
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxviii
I categorise food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depending on its year of origin
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxix
I fear eating food from some time periods
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxx
I fear I won’t be able to eat in certain time periods
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxi
I fear I won’t be able to stop eating in certain time periods
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxii
I need to eat a particular rate or chew a particular number of times
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxiii
I can only eat portions of a specific size
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxiv
I can only eat foods of a certain colour
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxv
I hoard food from the past
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxvi
I hoard food from the future
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxvii
I collect recipes, photos and articles on food from the past
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxviii
I collect recipes, photos and articles on food from the future
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxix
I judge myself harshly
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xl
I am motivated by wanting to be better than other people
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xli
I often feel that my life circumstances are not in my control
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xlii
I often feel that eating is the only aspect of my life that I can control
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xliii
Time travelling has altered my feelings about my body in a negative way
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xliv
Time travelling has altered my feelings about my body in a positive way
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xlv
Time travelling has not made any difference to my feelings about my body
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xlvi
I believe my eating habits are reasonable
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xlvii
I would like to change my eating habits
Yes / No / Don’t recall
Reference: Joyce, S. (2020). ‘Detecting disordered eating among time travellers’. The Psychology of Time Travel. 60 (3), 7–13.
Time Travelling and Narcissistic Traits (TTaNT)
Indicate your agreement, where 1 = untrue, and 10 = completely true
i
I would like to use time travel for the purposes of influencing people
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ii
I am drawn to time travel because it is an elite profession
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
iii
The thought of using time travel to influence how the world is run scares me
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
iv
I believe I blend into other time periods easily
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
v
Being a time traveller appeals because it often makes me the centre of attention
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
vi
I would like to use time travel for exercising authority over other people
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
vii
The thought of using time travel to manipulate people doesn’t appeal to me
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
viii
Time travelling will mean I always know what I’m doing
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ix
Time travelling shows we can’t always live the way we plan
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
x
Controlling time is a skill deserving the respect of others
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xi
Time travelling is a very humbling experience
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xii
I am very good at understanding the motivations of people from other times
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xiii
It is easy to underestimate how different people are in other time periods
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xiv
Time travelling would demonstrate to the world I’ve made something of myself
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xv
Time travelling would be its own reward
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xvi
The Conclave succeeds through collective effort
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xvii
The Conclave succeeds through strong leadership
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xviii
By joining the Conclave, I am serving the public
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xix
By joining the Conclave, I have become an important public figure
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xx
When I travel back or forward in time, I feel that the eyes of everyone are on me
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxi
I have enough to do without worrying about people in destination timelines
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxii
I dislike time travelling unless I know I am going to be made welcome on arrival
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxiii
I believe I have much to teach people in other time periods
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxiv
Before time travelling I set myself significant goals
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxv
Time travelling is valuable to me because it gives me autonomy
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxvi
Time travelling disturbs me because I feel less autonomous
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxvii
My way of thinking is unconventional for my own time
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxviii
No matter the time period, I express myself well
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxix
I have a great appreciation for the aesthetic
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxx
At times of frustration I persevere
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxxi
My leadership qualities make me an ideal time traveller
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxxii
People in other time periods are always happy to follow my lead
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxxiii
It would be terrible to have my authority undermined while time travelling
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxxiv
I would not return to a time period where I had been humiliated
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxxv
I enjoy the time periods most where my social status matches my self-image
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxxvi
I enjoy time periods that make me question my assumptions
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxxvii
It’s not wise to share secrets while time travelling
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxxviii
The first priority in any period is to get important people on your side
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xxxix
I protect my reputation in other time periods by not sharing much about myself
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xl
It is important while time travelling to avoid dangerous situations
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xli
Time travelling offers unrivalled opportunities for revenge
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xlii
Most successful time travellers are moral people
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xliii
I wait for the right time to get back at people
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xliv
Most time travellers don’t work hard unless they’re made to
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xlv
Some people are just superior to others
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
xlvi
I get bored hanging round with ordinary people from my own time
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Reference: Joyce, S. (2020). ‘Leadership qualities among time travel recruits’. The Psychology of Time Travel. 60 (3), 14–25.
Dream Symbol Inventory (DSI)
Indicate any symbols which were present in your dreams over the past week.
i
The dreamer confesses to murder and is unharmed by execution
Yes / No / Don’t recall
ii
The dreamer hears a list of their sins on the radio
Yes / No / Don’t recall
iii
The dreamer prevents their body from decomposing by reciting radio transmissions
Yes / No / Don’t recall
iv
Unattended babies are found in a time machine
Yes / No / Don’t recall
v
Corpses are found in a time machine
Yes / No / Don’t recall
vi
God is found in a time machine
Yes / No / Don’t recall
vii
The dreamer’s teeth fall out in a new timeline
Yes / No / Don’t recall
viii
The dreamer can’t find lavatories in a new timeline
Yes / No / Don’t recall
ix
The dreamer is suddenly naked in a new timeline
Yes / No / Don’t recall
x
A time machine takes the dreamer to heaven
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xi
A time machine takes the dreamer to hell
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xii
A time machine takes the dreamer to the moon
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xiii
A time machine takes the dreamer under the sea
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xiv
A time machine takes the dreamer to the town of their childhood
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xv
A time machine takes the dreamer to the suburbs
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xvi
A time machine takes the dreamer to the forests
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xvii
Doctors cut the dreamer open and find a time machine where their heart should be
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xviii
Doctors cut the dreamer open and find a time machine where their brain should be
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xix
Doctors cut the dreamer open and find a time machine where their womb should be
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xx
Circles appear in the form of rings, wheels, cogs, crowns, suns, eyes, lassos, hoops, etc
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxi
Missiles appear in the form of arrows, spears, bullets, cannon balls, grenades and shells
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxii
Running water appears in the form of gushing taps, rainfall, canals, rivers and streams
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxiii
A time traveller is reformed by falling in love with a body of moving water
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxiv
A time traveller is reformed by falling in love with a newly found star
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxv
A time traveller is reformed by falling in love with an atroposium explosion
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxvi
A time traveller talks to their lover through a hole in the ground
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxvii
A time traveller talks to their lover through a hole in the air
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxviii
A time traveller talks to their lover through an electric socket
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxix
The dreamer uses time machines as shipping containers. Cargo is lost to the past
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxx
The dreamer uses time machines as rooms in a mansion. Guests are lost to the past
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxi
The dreamer uses a time machine as a church. The congregation is lost to the past
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxii
The time traveller sees a future city burning with all of its inhabitants
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxiii
The time traveller sees the oceans boiling from the future country’s coasts
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxiv
The time traveller sees earth crack open from one future border to another
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxv
The time traveller sees the future sky glow in neon greens and yellow and pink
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxvi
The time traveller sees the world’s animals perish, two by two
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxvii
The time traveller sees birds fall dead from the sky
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxviii
The time traveller sees buildings flee from cities, dragging foundations behind them
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xxxix
The time traveller sees a god with eyes likes flames and feet in a burning furnace
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xl
The time traveller sees a god with seven stars in his right hand
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xli
The time traveller sees a god with a sharp two edged sword in his mouth
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xlii
The time traveller sees a door into heaven and a god of jasper
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xliii
The time traveller sees an emerald throne encircled by a rainbow
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xliv
The time traveller sees a sea of glass and creatures full of eyes before and behind
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xlv
The time traveller sees a lion, a calf, an eagle, and a creature with the face of a man
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xlvi
The time traveller sees an angel clothed in clouds, his right foot on sea, his left on earth
Yes / No / Don’t recall
xlvii
The time traveller hears a voice say that time will be no longer
Yes / No
/ Don’t recall
Reference: Joyce, S. (August 2020). ‘The development of a Dream Symbol Inventory (DSI) for time travellers.’ Freudian Journal of Time Travel. 20 (2). 17–25.
Acknowledgements
During my research for the pioneers’ world, two physics essays in particular were helpful: ‘Cauchy Problem in Spacetimes with Closed Timelike Curves’ (1990), by J. Friedman et al; and ‘Physical Effects in Wormholes and Time Machines’ (1993), by V. Frolov and I. Novikov.
The Society of Authors, as the Literary Representative of the Estate of John Masefield, granted permission to quote from The Box of Delights.
In 2015, when I was first tentatively developing the story of a time-travelling grandmother, I attended a taught retreat led by Shelley Harris and Stephanie Butland. They insisted the idea was worth pursuing. I also received helpful early feedback from my fellow retreaters – especially Allen Young, who beta-read the first draft.
Many people gave me invaluable moral support during redrafts. Richard Beard has been an ongoing source of professional advice; I appreciated his reassuring and authoritative replies to my emails. Writing a book involves quite a lot of grumpiness (at least the way I do it), and my friend Tracy King deserves special mention for listening to me complain. I also benefited from the encouragement of my family – Louise, Laurence, Sophie, Milo, William, Lynne, Dave, Charlotte and Gary. My mother Patricia and my cousin Alice were kind enough to answer my questions about Seychelles. And I am lucky to be married to Matthew, who provided emotional labour and plot solutions with aplomb.
The Psychology of Time Travel Page 28