The Physics of Regret

Exploring the metaphysical mechanics behind decisional entropy and temporal symmetry in human behavior.

Dr. Lillian Sato • September 15, 2025

Energy in Reverse

Regret operates on the thermodynamics of consciousness. In our forward-time perspective, actions generate momentum - but regret creates entropy, where the arrow of time breaks.

Entropy in decision theory creates this 'reverse arrow' of regret, where perceived energy is lost from the present to the past

The Quantum Observer Effect in Regret

When we observe our past decisions with new information, the emotional 'wavefunction' of those choices collapses. The unchosen paths take on probabilities, creating interference patterns in our cognition.

The Black Hole of Regret

RF = R* × Fp × Ne × Fl × Fi × Fc × L

The Drake Equation for Regret: R = Regret Factor, Fp = Past Possibilities, etc.

Regret functions similarly to black hole physics - it forms an event horizon in memory, where past decisions become informationally irreversible. Each regretful thought increases entropy in cognitive systems until it becomes a singularity of decisional collapse.

Time Crystals of Regret

"Regret is a four-dimensional crystal growing in real-time."

While normal time crystals repeat in fixed space-time intervals, regret's crystalline structures form through psychological time - each decision becomes a lattice point in regret space-time.