Picture yourself riding in the back of a station wagon, in a rear-facing seat. You can't see where you're going, but you can see where you've been. So the future is what is behind you, literally, and the past is what is before your eyes, to be known and commented upon.
That's a great way to put it Alex.
I think I prefer our way of visualizing though. Putting the future where you can't see it, even if it is just conceptual, leaves me vaguely uncomfortable.
It's not like you can change the future or anything, but we're hardwired to spot danger with our eyes, to turn towards the unknown as as form a protection against surprises, so if you're not facing the future, it's like if you are not protecting yourself.
Oddly, I have no problem at all with the past in front. Your station wagon analogy is exactly how I see it. The recent is up real close and past goes further and further away.
We're always looking into the past, calling up memories, using what we've learned. If I'm talking with somebody and I say, "that happened a long-long time in the past", I'll invariably gesticulate towards the front instead of the back.
