How did Husserl explain the role of past and future in time consciousness?

Edmund Husserl explained that the creation of time awareness is a fundamental act of transcendental consciousness, which he described as a process of self-constitution.1

Within this framework, Husserl identified two essential components that structure our experience of time:

• Retention (past): This act allows consciousness to hold onto the immediate past, preventing it from vanishing entirely and enabling the experience of succession.1
• Protention (future): This act involves the anticipation of what is to come, which, alongside retention, allows the transcendental ego to constitute the flow of time and meaning.1

By integrating these acts, Husserl argued that consciousness does not merely perceive a series of isolated, instantaneous points; rather, it actively constructs the temporal flow that serves as the foundation for all meaning.1