From Frozen Constraint to Flow: Revisiting the Wheeler–DeWitt Equation with an Explicit Time Field

The Wheeler–DeWitt equation imposes a Hamiltonian constraint that removes explicit temporal evolution from the quantum state of the universe, producing a frozen mathematical description that conflicts with the observed dynamical nature of physics. This timelessness is not a paradox but a sign of structural incompleteness: the theory lacks a physical time field that provides flow, memory, and energy exchange. We introduce a minimal extension in which an explicit scalar time field, Theta, enters the Hamiltonian and drives evolution through its conjugate momentum, mediated by a universal stability constant chi, approximately 0.551, derived from the Chronos framework. This restores continuous dynamics without violating diffeomorphism invariance or abandoning constraint quantization. The traditional Wheeler–DeWitt form appears naturally when the time field reaches equilibrium, while deviations from equilibrium reproduce the temporal flow seen in nature. This framework links quantum behavior, thermodynamic progression, and cosmic evolution within a unified structure. It also clarifies why artificial intelligence and information systems, which operate on discrete states, lack inherent continuity. By reinstating time as a scalar field, the Wheeler–DeWitt constraint becomes a generator of physical evolution rather than a statement of stasis, aligning the mathematics of quantum gravity with the dynamism of the universe.