Why Time Seems to Slow Down in Emergencies

It is very interesting to know why we as humans experience such things as time comas or the standing still, slow motion time. AS far as any studies being done, "Looks like we have a winner!"

To see if danger makes people experience time in slow motion, scientists at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston tried scaring volunteers. However, roller coasters and other frightening amusement park rides did not cause enough fear to make time warp.

There have been moments in my own personal life experiences where I have felt as if this happened. Granted, they were usually when a traumatic or unexpected event took place, but I always remembered how I felt on those particular moments.

Seems as if there are answer's to my long awaited questions of these feeling's of confusion and wanting understanding..

Source:

www.livescience.com...

. . . the more memory you have of an event, the longer you believe it took.

That's actually really cool. Good original research. I have always thought it was the rush of chemicals that enabled our brains to operate faster when the body thought it was in danger, but since we rely on our memories to remember if time felt like it was going slower, it just makes sense that it's the memories themselves that are altered. And the method the scientists used to double check their theories is ingenious.

Excellent find

reply to post by Allred5923


This was done awhile ago by theoretical physicist Michio Kaku on a series on the science channel called "Time" Here is the link Time Definately give it a look, I thought it was very interesting. They did they same experiment with freefall and went more indepth to time.

I think time is something we believe to exist and therefore it exists in our mind. But actually there is only the moment no futere and past they are part of the moment. I learned this from various people and interesting reads wich im not able to find at the moment..

I experianced this first hand on '___' and mushrooms. When I did mushrooms the first time it was a very bad trip (I was to young and didnt know what I know now). It felt like there where 4 hours past but it was actually not even a minute. The night truly felt like it was never going to end.. But it was a really learning experiance.

Interesting article!

My original thought was that adrenaline may cause your brain to work more efficiently in dangerous situations, but the article seems to have cancelled this out and instead focuses on memory tricks.

I personally see some holes in this theory. I've heard many stories of people in dangerous situations say how time seemed to go by so quickly rather than slowly. So the theory can't really be a universal one.

I saw an interview with LaDainian Tomlinson, running back for the san diego chargers on sunday. Through one segmet he talked about how things happen slower for him on the football field, how he see's everything on the field in slow motion. He doesn't just account for the guy right in front of him, but the next three guys in front of him.

It would be very interesting to find that the human brain could be manipulated to perceive time at a slower rate. While it wouldn't change the moon phases and those important external factors that make up time, it may at some point influence the lives of some of these people.

I have experienced slow motion time twice.Both times were in the fractions of a second before car crashes.
What creates this sensation I do not know,but I think its something to do with brain chemicals being released in order to prepare you for an event.
I think the brain may only go into "slo mo" when the subconscious detects great danger very suddenly.
Otherwise things like bungee jumping would set off the same experience.
Maybe because the brain "knows" in advance that you are planning a bungee prevents the reaction.

Interesting thread!

reply to post by Allred5923


This thread caught my eye. Many years ago, I was in a situation where time REALLY slowed down for me. It was nothing like I've experienced before that and though I've had brief flashes of a similar experience since, this was the most intense.

I was in serious danger, and I had an incredibly short time to take action to be sure I was safe. I remember not just denser memories, but the real-time activity of trying to move faster than my body was able to. Pushing my arm while looking at it trying to get it to move faster. In the end, I was not able to complete the action in time, and it felt like the reason was physical limitation instead of what my mind was capable of processing or willing. For purely chance reasons beyond my control, I lucked out and was ok. Until I realized that was the case, I was absolutely sure I was about to die. For an instant afterwards I actually did a quick check to see if I lived.

In that case, I don't believe that just laying down more memories would address what I personally experienced. I believe that somehow, my mind sped up, really sped up, from some kind of survival mechanism. I wouldn't dispute the mind also keeping more memories of the experience, but if you are really experiencing something related to survival, do you think you'll be trying to read numbers on a watch?

It is interesting to see this research. Thanks OP.

I have encountered this more then a few times. It is an interesting side affect, and it would be facinating tofind out the exact biological explanation for it.

1) My son had a popsicle stick in his mouth, tilted his head up to look at a balloon on the ceiling in a store and it went straight down his throat. I quickly snatched the stick while it was in his mouth before he even realized he was choking. What was wierd was I used my off hand for it (I am very dominate left handed).
2) In a bar, while I was escorting a rather unruley couple out of the place, the man grabbed a beer bottle of the bar and swung it at the back of the girls head. I caught his arm midswing, and dropped him fast. I also used my off hand during this.
3) Recently, in a car accident, I spotted a car that was not slowing for red light, and slammed on the breaks. Everything moved in slow motion while it struck another vehicle, and barely tapped ours. If I was 6 inches further, I would have been hit by the car spinning in front of us. If I was 6 inches back, I would have been hit by the DUI.
4) When I was a teenager, I was taking out my little sister trick or treating on halloween. During this time, she wandered a bit farther ahead. I spotted a van running with lights off, and no plate, pulling along side her, and the side door opened. Everything slowed down as I ran faster then I thought possible, and caught up to her. I took her home and called the police giving them details... it was not the first call they received on it that night.

I have always been facinated by this. Is the brain "overclocking" itself, or is it manipulating time in the immediate vicinity? One whacky theory I contimplated at one time (after the car accident) is that there was so many items you were tracking (specifically parts of cars) that it lowered my brain's frame rate to make it appear time slowed down.

Originally posted by The Cyfre
Interesting article!
I personally see some holes in this theory. I've heard many stories of people in dangerous situations say how time seemed to go by so quickly rather than slowly. So the theory can't really be a universal one.
I saw an interview with LaDainian Tomlinson, running back for the san diego chargers on sunday. Through one segmet he talked about how things happen slower for him on the football field, how he see's everything on the field in slow motion. He doesn't just account for the guy right in front of him, but the next three guys in front of him.

I have talked to some of my acquaitences about the reverse affect of time standing still, they seem to give it up to the situation that ahd caused the effect to the ability of knowing what to do and if the event isn't one that has been experienced, it becomes slower and more frame by frame feeling in the minds eye. The people I am speaking of aren't psycho analists or psychologists , but they do have a pretty good, and reasonable explanation of the reverse "Time slowing down" theory. If I am reading it right from what they had said : "If you have the knowledge of the particular experience of how to handle it, it would seem a faster experience, if one experiences something for the first time, both traumatic and unexpected, it will seem as it were slower."

"Whats your thoughts ATSer's?"

As for the LT story, "I seen the interview too." It was very interesting that he had mentioned the effect he experiences during the time on the field. Though I think he is a great player, it could probably be contributed to the fact he had taught himself to have those experiences at just the right moment. Allowing to plan his next alternative moves from the field lay of the player's. Probably is happening to alot of the NFL player's as well. Was a good interview though man, thanks for bringing that up, I didn't even think about it until I read it in your post.

reply to post by Allred5923


I think it's very interesting no matter how you look at it to be honest. And i'll admit that i would much rather believe our minds have the ability to operate on different time scales, if even only during fleeting moments of danger. Of couse that takes nothing away from the fact that this is intensely interesting (and unique) stuff here on ATS.

The interview was pretty good. I hadn't expected to watch it and I usually turn it during athelete interviews after a full day of watching football. He's an honest and good guy and a great role model. And he works out like a machine. I don't know. Maybe science should study him instead.

I know one thing for sure Cypher, since I have been a mamber of the ATS forums, I have had my share of enlightenments. As for your deduction of it being a fantastical ability of the mind, I agree, and it seems that is why we are all here at the forum, to gain knowledge whilst sharing a bit of our's.

Thanks for your input, as far as I see it, there are some very insightful and honest people here ATS, though not everything is absolutely logical, we still deny ignorance with a "Vengance".

Originally posted by Allred5923
Thanks for your input, as far as I see it, there are some very insightful and honest people here ATS, though not everything is absolutely logical, we still deny ignorance with a "Vengance".

Agreed. Although sometimes i think some of us end up denying eachother more than ignorance. At least regarding the political threads!

iv'e always presumed the slow down effect is an after effect the constant replaying of a traumatic or near traumatic event becomes an embellished memory vibrant and full of colour like a story retold each time with even more dramatic effect

Used to race motorcycles and got into some interesting situations sometimes.
Same deal with drag racing later on.

I think the simple answer is your mind becomes very focused and filters out extraneous information not involved with the particular situation.
Since you're concentrating so hard on a specific thing time seems to stand still.

At times of crisis or imminent danger our brain releases endorphines which is a morphine like substance. This has the effect of slowing things down including time.

Its almost as if the brain works at a faster frame rate in these situations. Like a high speed camera enabling the recording to be played extra slow due to the amount of information recorded during a period of time. IT probably gives your body a better chance of reacting and protecting itself.

I was in a car accident where a women drove straight into my car head on. I saw her coming. I suddenly reached a point where I had gone from panic and horror to a strange calm. The only word I can use for it was acceptance. I had accepted that I was about to be hit by the other car. The second that happened, the whole world disappeared and I a clarity of mind and thought I never knew. Somehow, very calmly I began to play out scenerios of escape, I found one and immediately shoved my car into reverse and stepped on the gas. The impact happened but at a much less destructive force. I remember bouncing around the inside of the car and finally in a still motionless state looking up with people asking me if I was ok. From the momment I accepted the situation time slowed incredibly, and hearing was dulled. It was me and the other car. It was our own little piece of universe. To this day I believe that my mind shifted gears and found a place outside of real time. It's the only way I can think of it.

One other thing. I heard that time is warped and travels along gravity waves that emminate all around us. For instance, if we fell into a black hole in four seconds, to us it might be a thousand years. There are times that I can seem to sense time moving faster and slower. It is even noticable to me when I am watching the seconds pass on the clock. And there are times when even days seem longer or shorter. Has anyone else had this experience?

EDIT - Reply To Fromabove

Well firstly.. glad to see that your still around after the accident! It must have been a terrifying experience. As for the differences in time, the only way I can say I have experienced this (and on many occasions) is when sometimes I will look at a clock and the first time i see the second hand move seems to take far longer than a second and then it will continue to tick at the usual speed. That first second can seem to last for probably 2 seconds or more! Weirdly, the same thing can happen when I look at car indicators, the orange light will seem to be on longer when i see it for the first time then it will continue to flash normally

I know that pysically the second is a second and the flash of the indicator is just a flash, somehow the mind stretches them out.

[edit on 16-12-2007 by fiftyfifty]

reply to post by fiftyfifty


Yes... the whole idea of time may just be in our minds after all. But were're locked in our bodies so we can't understand it all even though we can sense it's movements.