Introduction: Time as a Multidimensional Concept

There are two main visions relating to the concept of time. The first, classical one, describes time as constant, universal and possibly extramental. The more recent one, rooted in Einstein's theories of relativity, proposes a space-time perspective and views time as strongly dependent on the observer. Looking across various scientific disciplines which ask questions about the existence and essence of time, a place and role for language studies can be identified as illuminating the role of objective and subjective time as well as shedding light on multiple temporalities we live in, think and talk about. The research presented in this volume has been inspired by a number of projects investigating time and temporal experience in human life and language with researchers working either independently or in teams. COST Action TD0904 TIMELY, in which the University of Lodz participates, provides us with a unique opportunity to meet and learn from one another in a truely international surrounding. A parallel project from the National Science Centre in Poland, focusing on the Perception of Time as a Linguistic Category (Project No UMO-2011/01/M/HS2/03042), makes it possible for us to deal with complex issues in the cognitive analysis of time in terms of the structure of events, identification and extraction of temporal expressions from large language corpora and several attempts at a new interpretation of time and temporal categories in linguistic and artistic creations. The projects aim to propose a more adequate, mentally mediated, theory of time and a theory of users' time perception and time conceptualization. Both empirical findings on linguistic temporal parameters, the neural mechanisms underlying time perception, memory, attention, and eventually conceptuali-zation are the cognitive processes closely linked to the understanding of time. Culture and language provide two essential frameworks to deal with time. Event structures , language specificity and cultural framing of events enable time interpretation in culture and language specific ways. Metaphor and other figurative language pave the way to elucidate the complex nature of temporal experience as documented in everyday language, in the language of literature and in the semiotic codes of arts. An interaction of gesture culture, verbal and sign language and time is another area explored and presented across temporal research domains. A plethora of the questions being raised in connection with time and temporal experience in life, language and arts and our involvement in the relevant research and interest in time across numerous fields of studies, …