# Are spatial and temporal ultimately the same?

**URL:** <https://discourse.numenta.org/t/are-spatial-and-temporal-ultimately-the-same/1421>\
**Category:** Numenta Theory\
**Tags:** sequence-memory, encoders\
**Created:** [September 21, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/are-spatial-and-temporal-ultimately-the-same/1421 "2016-09-21T20:17:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 3

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**Author:** ![rhyolight](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.numenta.org/rhyolight/32/3922_2.png) [@rhyolight](https://discourse.numenta.org/u/rhyolight)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/are-spatial-and-temporal-ultimately-the-same/1421/3 "2017-03-01T19:04:51Z")

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@pavelromashkin just [breached this topic again](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/any-questions-for-jeff/1965/2), so I thought I would continue the conversation here.

> [@Any questions for Jeff?](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/any-questions-for-jeff/1965/2):
>
> I am still not sure about the difference between temporal and spatial patterns. Seems like all patterns coming in are just temporal, with spatial configuration encoded in every frame. What benefit does this separation serve?

I think @ycui is leading in the right direction above. The temporal dimension allows brains to explore spatial dimensions. Without the temporal dimension, we would have one spatial view of the universe, no dynamism, no discovery, no intelligence. It would **never** change. It’s a pretty boring existence.

Life has evolved to process spatial information over time and take action upon it. Without time, there is no life (as we know it). HTM is trying to mimic something occurring in living brains, and the brain is entirely based upon temporal processing of _life happening_ in front of its sensors.

Without time, you are just a dumb rock.

![](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/numenta/original/2X/e/e950611b7221109815f2d5d3c894d9871b06f1ed.png)

So from my standpoint, the temporal / spatial combination of sparse neuron activations in response to the _stimulus of life_ is crucial to HTM.

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