Relative Perception Of Time
I heard this years ago on RadioLab, and remembered it. Completely facinates me. https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/91584-time - If you listen to the "It's All Relative" show from 10:00-15:49, you will hear two remarkable case studies of Myron and Hester.
Questions and Thoughts:
What mechanism could cause someone to engage in an activity believing they were operating at a "normal" speed, but really were not?
What constitutes "normal" speed in the first place? Maybe if we use some kind of rhythmic anchor like "Sunrise", we could say that Myron could wipe his nose only 12 times per sunrise moving at his perceived "normal" pace, but everyone else could wipe their nose thousands of times per sunrise using their normal pace.
When in the state of flow, I "lose track of time" in that I don't actually focus my attention on the passage of time. Hours can go by while I am engaged in the right activity...maybe there is some trigger in Myron's brain,where he becomes engaged or "in the zone", but his brain then re-calibrates his activity to a different reference frame.
Questions and Thoughts:
What mechanism could cause someone to engage in an activity believing they were operating at a "normal" speed, but really were not?
What constitutes "normal" speed in the first place? Maybe if we use some kind of rhythmic anchor like "Sunrise", we could say that Myron could wipe his nose only 12 times per sunrise moving at his perceived "normal" pace, but everyone else could wipe their nose thousands of times per sunrise using their normal pace.
When in the state of flow, I "lose track of time" in that I don't actually focus my attention on the passage of time. Hours can go by while I am engaged in the right activity...maybe there is some trigger in Myron's brain,where he becomes engaged or "in the zone", but his brain then re-calibrates his activity to a different reference frame.