1. Why is the question interesting or relevant, to begin with? Because there’s a conceptual “set” consisting, notably, of ego, space, time, objectivity, and movement. One of the chief members of this set is time.

For instance, how can ego exist in the absence of time? How can an independently existing world unfold in the absence of time? 

2. What, then, are we investigating? Well, whether time passes since this is the most obvious conceptual metaphor we employ. Just as a river flows, so time passes. The chief assumption is that I, the one who woke up this morning, live within the dimension of time. My life unfolds within time; it begins at birth and ends at death; in the middle, I live my life. 

3. How are we to explore whether time is real? There are many ways. Here’s “Verse 15” of Ramana Maharshi’s Ulladu Narpadu:

Past and future stand holding the present. While occurring, they too are actually the present. The present is the only one. Not knowing the reality of now, trying to know the past or future is trying to count without one.

a) Try to really experience the past. Try to really experience the future. Try to really experience the present moment passing.

b) Ask: “Where does the past or future seem to appear?” It’s wow-worthy to discover: “Only in the imagination!”

c) Then ask: “When does this imagining of the past or future appear?” A: “Only in the present.” In which case, there is neither past nor future, actually. There’s only the present, actually.

d) But then how can there be a present when there is no past or future? This concept–“the present” or “the present moment”–ceases to make any sense. 

e) See that there’s only nowness = presence = being.

f) Check to see that being (sat) = awareness (cit).

But being-awareness is what you essentially are. Therefore, there’s only YOU!