1 From Force to Field: Gravity in a Relational Universe
Traditional physics often presents gravity as a force acting between massive objects or as the curvature of a four-dimensional spacetime fabric. Yet, both conceptions rely on metaphysical assumptions about independently existing objects and an absolute backdrop that, upon closer examination, prove problematic.
Our relational ontology reframes gravity entirely. Rather than a force tugging on objects or a bending of a fixed stage, gravity emerges as a pattern of relations between unfolding processes—a topology of interaction that aligns how instances unfold relative to one another.
Gravity as a Topology of Process Interaction
Imagine that reality consists not of discrete objects in space, but of processes that co-unfold, relate, and individuate over time. Gravity, then, is the boundary condition shaping how these processes synchronise and cohere.
Instead of imagining a force pulling a mass, think of gravitational influence as the selection and actualisation of relational paths—geodesics—along which unfolding processes maintain coherence. These paths are not curved spaces; they are relational patterns of coordination between events and instances.
From Material Mass to Relational Meaning
Mass, rather than a property residing in an object, is understood as an aspect of the relational density and coherence of unfolding processes. It is this density that shapes the topological constraints manifesting as what we experience as gravitational “attraction.”
Gravity thus does not act on matter; instead, gravity is the manifestation of how processes relate and unfold in mutual constraint, shaping what configurations become actualised.
Implications for Understanding Gravity
This reframing dissolves classical paradoxes. Gravity is no longer an external force but an emergent relational feature that:
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Aligns temporal unfolding of processes.
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Defines the geometry of relational fields without requiring absolute space or time.
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Connects naturally with the observer-dependent experiences of contraction and dilation.
Our next posts will explore how these relational paths—geodesics—curve, how observers experience gravitational time dilation, and how coherence is maintained across gravitational fields.
2 Curving the Geodesic: Unfolding Time and Space in Gravity
Building on our relational reframe of gravity as a topology of unfolding processes, we now examine what it means for geodesics—the relational paths of coherence—to curve.
What is a Geodesic?
In classical physics, a geodesic is often described as “the straightest possible line” in a curved spacetime. Our relational ontology shifts this view: a geodesic is a pattern of coordinated unfolding among processes, a dynamic path that actualises how events relate coherently over time.
When we say the geodesic curves, we mean that the relational coordination among processes shifts in response to local conditions—particularly near concentrations of mass-energy—altering how processes unfold relative to one another.
Curving the Geodesic vs. Curving Spacetime
The crucial distinction is that it is the geodesic that curves, not spacetime itself. Spacetime, understood as a relational topology, is not a container but a pattern of relationships between unfolding instances.
Curving the geodesic means that the relational paths adapt—the unfolding of processes synchronise differently—leading to observable phenomena such as:
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Contraction of spatial intervals in directions toward a centre of mass.
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Expansion or dilation of temporal intervals—experienced as gravitational time dilation.
The Proportional Relation Between Space Contraction and Time Dilation
Empirically and theoretically, space contraction and time dilation near massive bodies are linked. As spatial intervals contract, time intervals dilate proportionally—ensuring the consistency of relational coherence.
In our relational terms, this proportionality emerges because both space and time are dimensions of unfolding processes: alterations in relational unfolding in space necessitate compensatory adjustments in temporal unfolding to maintain coherence.
Observers and the Experience of Gravity
Observers, as themselves unfolding processes, experience these changes in relational unfolding as the effects of gravity:
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Clocks run slower near massive bodies because their processes unfold differently relative to distant observers.
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Spatial measurements contract because relational coherence paths differ in direction and scale.
This experiential asymmetry is not about absolute changes “in” time or space, but about how processes synchronise relationally.
3 Unfolding Coherence: Gravitational Fields and Relational Persistence
Having reframed gravity as the curving of geodesics—patterns of unfolding relational processes—we now turn to the gravitational field and how it manifests as a coherent, persistent relational structure.
Gravitational Fields as Relational Patterns
In the traditional view, a gravitational field is a “force field” permeating space. In our relational ontology, a gravitational field is better understood as a field of relational coherence—a dynamic pattern of how unfolding processes relate across space and time.
This field is not an entity but a semiotic construal of coherence maintained by the unfolding interactions of mass-energy concentrations and their relational influence on surrounding processes.
Forces as Modulations of Unfolding
The experience of gravitational force arises from modulations in the relational unfolding of interacting processes:
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Particles and bodies follow curved geodesics because their unfolding synchronises with the field’s relational pattern.
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What we call “force” is the relational tendency for processes to adjust their unfolding paths in response to the coherence patterns encoded by mass-energy.
Persistence Through Relational Individuation
A key question is: how does gravitational coherence persist across vast distances and time?
Persistence arises through relational individuation—the continuous reactualisation of coherence patterns by locally unfolding processes that are individuated relative to the collective field.
This means:
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Gravitational coherence is always instantiated through processes unfolding here and now.
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It is not a static “thing” but an ongoing relational achievement across the field.
Reconciling Gravity and Relational Time
Because time itself is a dimension of unfolding processes, the gravitational field’s influence is inseparable from the temporal coherence of interactions.
Thus:
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Gravitational fields are temporal patterns of relational unfolding.
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Time dilation and space contraction are expressions of how this unfolding is modulated locally.
Reflective Coda: Gravity as Relational Coherence in the Unfolding Cosmos
Our relational reframe of gravity shifts the focus from forces acting upon isolated objects to the dynamic coherence of unfolding relational processes. Gravity is not an independent “thing” exerting influence, but the pattern of individuated unfolding emerging from interactions among mass-energy concentrations.
This perspective reveals gravity as a temporal and spatial modulation—a curving of geodesics that arises because processes synchronise their unfolding in response to relational coherence fields. Persistence and continuity in gravity arise not from static entities but from the ongoing reactualisation of coherence patterns instantiated across space and time.
Such a view dissolves classical paradoxes of action-at-a-distance and offers a profound unification of gravity with the relational ontology underpinning time, space, and meaning itself. It invites us to see the cosmos as a continuously unfolding tapestry of relation, where gravity is the thread binding processes into coherent patterns.
As we move onward to explore cosmology, black holes, and beyond, this relational understanding of gravity provides a conceptual foundation for reframing cosmic phenomena in terms of process, coherence, and meaning—a shift that promises deeper insight into the nature of reality itself.
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