EnTimO: A Time-Centered Reinterpretation of General Relativity

This paper proposes a conceptual reinterpretation of General Relativity within the ADM formalism. The lapse function N is identified with a parameter R, read as the “structuring rate” that connects coordinate time dt with proper time dτ. In this framework, local gravitational acceleration can be expressed as the spatial gradient of ln R, offering a time-centered map of Einstein’s theory. The approach introduces no new dynamics and remains fully compatible with all known solutions of GR. The main value of this perspective is epistemological and didactic: it highlights the central role of time in gravitational phenomena and provides a different lens to interpret the relation between energy, time, and spacetime structure.