Thermalization Without Equilibrium

This work shows that thermal behavior can emerge from causal signal degradation without invoking equilibrium or ergodicity. Apparent thermalization is demonstrated to result from finite propagation speed, information loss, and observer-accessible coarse-graining. The framework explains thermal spectra in relativistic and horizon-adjacent systems as operational outcomes rather than statistical equilibria. Keywords Causality; Strain; Finite Signal Speed; Thermalization; Nonequilibrium Physics; Horizons