Reader questions and feedback on optimized use of your senses. Also refer to smell, taste, hearing, vision, 6th sense, curiosity, awareness, observations, psychic, future, foreseeing, mind reading, power, deja vu, time, fear, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions
Answers to Readers' Questions on Using Your Senses
Slow Motion
The following 31 comments and questions have been sent in. They are listed according to date.
List of first 10 items
- Is age 61 too old to experience slow motion?
- Does slow motion have to do with time dilation?
- I had an experience of slow motion
- Are dreams slow motion perception?
- Does adrenaline cause slowing perception of time?
- Sneaking a cigarette and went into slow motion
- Only the unprepared mind experiences slow motion
- Where can I find how to control sensing in slow motion?
- Feels slow motion comes from the subconscious
- Ideas about experiencing slow motion
Is age 61 too old to experience slow motion?
Question
October 11, 2009
I have experienced hearing in slow-motion at various times during my life. Now at age sixty-one I have not experienced this effect in quite some time. What was it? Is it gone for good? It was not an unpleasant thing.
james - USA
18479
Answer
It seems like sensing things in slow motion happens during special times or experiences, where your body slows things down. At age 61, it may be a case of "been there and done that" such that it will take a very special experience to going into slow motion again. But it is not gone for good.
Does slow motion have to do with time dilation?
Question
September 12, 2009
maybe it has something to do with Einstein's time dilation? but if Einstein's time dilation is in effect, then time really does slow down.
or maybe because adrenaline enhances brain's ability to process information. so during adrenaline rush, there are more information processed in one second than during normal condition. because the amount of information that are being processed in one second (during adrenaline rush) is equal to the amount of information that are normally processed in two or more seconds(for example), one second will be felt/perceived like two or more seconds.
the amount of adrenaline produced determines how big the gap between the normally-perceived time and the slow-perceived time(because it determines the amount of information being processed). however, since each person produces different amount of adrenaline in a given situation, the size of time gap experienced by each person is different. if the gap is big enough to be noticed by the person, he/she will perceive that time was slowing down. if the gap is not big enough, she/he will not experience slow motion perception.
so, to put it simply, if a person produced large dose of adrenaline, he/she will experience slow motion perception. if the quantity of adrenaline produced is not enough, she/he will not experience slow motion perception. maybe that's why in the same situation, some people don't experience it. because each person produces different amount of adrenaline
aryoko - Australia
18303
Answer
Time dilation is an effect that happens at very high speeds--close to the speed of light.
Sensing time moving slower could have a chemical basis, such as extra adrenaline. the only problem with considering adrenaline is that the slow motion effect happens much faster than the fight-or-flight effect of adrenaline. It could be some other hormone that affects the perception of time in an individual.
I had an experience of slow motion
Question
July 26, 2009
I had an experience of slow motion, but it wasn't during an accident and it was the first one I have ever experienced. I was with the man I Love and he was taking me to me his sister. I remember getting out of the car and seeing her getting out of her car and walking up the side walk ahead of us. When Kevin introduced her to me. It was just like the movies we both had our heads turning towards one another in slow motion and it was like time stood still and then our eyes locked and we smiled at each other and then time went back to normal.. It was the weirdest thing ever and I cant grasp why it happened.
Virnalisa - USA
18060
Answer
Thanks for sharing your experience. It certainly is something you will always remember.
Are dreams slow motion perception?
Question
January 20, 2009
this is my second email regarding the same subject. do you think dreams are another form of slow motion perception. i mean, the experience we're going through in some dreams feels like they were last a week or longer, while we're only sleeping for 7 hours or less. how about the near death experience? they said that it was like life flashing before their eyes.
aryoko - Australia
17122
Answer
Dreaming only lasts minutes. To a degree, they seem like a movie where you can jump ahead in time.
The sensing of the passing of time when you sleep is very rapid. 6-8 hours of sleep does not seem as long as when you are awake.
As far as near-death experience goes, read the short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" at:
http://www.school-for-champions.com/fiction/sample_owl_creek_bridge.htm
It is an interesting example of life flashing before your eyes.
Does adrenaline cause slowing perception of time?
Question
January 20, 2009
i have experienced this slow motion perception several times. once during car accident, i saw clearly how the car rolled and the passengers' facial expression from inside the car. but i also have experienced this several times when there's no accident. they were during football games. when it happens, i can see the ball slowly moving toward me. defenders and allies are also moving slowly so i can accurately passing the ball through narrow opening. there were similar intense feelings when the slow motion occurred. i don't know if the football game case is relevant, but is it possible that slow motion happens if there's high dose of adrenaline in our brain? or maybe if the brain is focused enough?
aryoko - Australia
17120
Answer
It is true that we sense the passing of time. It might be a chemical reaction, such as a high dose of adrenaline. The only problem is that in an accident, the time-slowing seems to occur before you realize what is happening and before fear sets in.
The theory of time slowing or the senses become more acute in a game is related to a phenomenon called Flow, which has to do with a mental state. Adrenaline may have an influence in that.
Another aspect of the theory about Flow is how time goes by quickly when you are engrossed in something.
Sneaking a cigarette and went into slow motion
Question
June 5, 2008
I have experienced slow motion a few times in my life usualy passing it off as my imagination. However, the last time this happened to me was an "I know that I know that I know" experiences. Here is some background to it. I had smoked from the time I was 13. When I met my current husband who doesn't smoke, he made me promise to quit. I continued to smoke by sneaking around. I would justify this by telling myself he was so controling. I knew that he would be hurt if he knew I was lying to him and I did try on several occasion to quit. Then one day 8 years later, I watched him leave the house and knowing he would be gone several hours, I went out back to smoke a cigarette. I had the strangest feeling that time all of a sudden slowed down. Then our dog (who had left with him) came running up to me in slow motion and I turned and saw my husband watching me from the back door. I dropped the cigarette on the ground and at that point everything at least time-wise turned to normal. I feel it is important to add that I had been feeling very guilty about the smoking and had used that guilt to justify his 2 years of infedelity and even more important is that I haven't smoked since that day and I haven't wanted to.
Sheila - USA
16047
Answer
Thanks for sharing your experience. Having time go into slow motion is something no one forgets after it happens. Perhaps there was some meaning behind your experience to scare the heck out of you, so that you quit smoking. It is a tough habit to stop but well worthwhile.
Only the unprepared mind experiences slow motion
Question
August 12, 2007
In your article you have mentioned that there are no reports of parachuters and race car drivers experiencing slow motion.
My opinion is that people experience slow motion in unexpected dangerous situations. Parachuters, race car drivers, mountain climbers etc always expect such dangerous situation and their mind is prepared for it. Hence their mind do dot experience slow motion.
So to sum up:
In the field of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind.
And in the field of accidents, sense of slow motion favors only the 'unprepared' mind.
-neo.
AbhiJeet - India
14185
Answer
You make a very good point that may explain why people in such situations do not seem to experience time in slow motion.
Where can I find how to control sensing in slow motion?
Question
March 7, 2007
I have experienced this effect three times: once while riding in a car as it slid off an icy road into a ditch, again when I was hit by a speeding car while riding a motorcycle (I flew slooowly through the air and was able to avoid hitting a metal stanchion by doing a high-jump style roll), and again in Japan in a karate class when I was partenered with an instructor who helps students remember lessons by actually hitting them (This man, Tanaka, was lighting-fast, unbelievably so even when you were looking right at him. But this time, just as he began his attack, he just slowed down, as if he were suddenly knee-deep in molasses, enabling me-at my leisure-to execute a perfect parry. Time went back to normal as he jumped back in shock at being defeated by one of his less exceptional students. He probably thought-at that moment-that I had only been pretending to be incompetent.) I have had other strange experiences with perception, if you're interested, but first, I am looking for something I read somewhere but have lost track of. It is this: I saw some intructional material on how to accomplish this "slow motion" effect at will, but don't remember where. Any ideas?
Dan - Japan
13324
Answer
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Sensing in slow motion is something that everyone remembers, once they have experienced it.
You bring up an interesting point about being able to have some control over your perception of time and motion. It is said that athletes that get into the "flow" or "zone", time seems to slow down and they are able to perform their tasks with great focus. That happens when you see an athlete go on a streak where he seems like he cannot be stopped.
Except for mention of it in studies of "flow", I really haven't seen any way of controlling your perception of time. But it is something worth looking into.
Feels slow motion comes from the subconscious
Question
December 28, 2006
Hello, I believe what is occuring with people who are percieving time in "slow motion", as an event in which the "subconscious mind" is "taking over", however, when the subconscious mind takes over in most cases, the person would go "unconscious" and would not remember what happened. Similar to Lucid dreaming in which the person would remember and become AWARE that he/she is Dreaming, and thus manifest the ability to "witness", manipulate, and control their dreams, and wake up to remember the experience. I believe this is a unique occurance of the mind in which the "subconscious mind takes over" HOWEVER the conscious mind goes along for the ride, and in a sense, the conscious mind is "riding" on top of the subconscious mind. In the case of the person who percieves time slowing down, what I believe is happeneing is that they are simply remaining aware while the subconscious mind takes over. Actually, in the case of the average person, they will "blackout" and not remember anything that happened, in the same way when the average person dreams, they don't remember what happened. So, I beleive this experience is a unique one. I believe it depends on your ability to focus "NATURALLY" and I emphasize the word NATURAL because it is not a situation that can be "forced" rather it is something that occurs unsuspectingly.........I have a friend who is very amazing in basketball, he privately told me that he can see things in slow motion. However, What he did not realize is that NOT EVERYONE does that, and he was shocked to realize that it is something unique because of the bullet time effects that are displayed on Television and movies.
I am a college student at age 22, and I am currently interested in looking at the relationship of the subconscious mind and the conscious mind and how they interact and how they can become "one" with each other manifesting a SUPER CONSCIOUSNESS>.....I believe when the subconscious mind and conscious mind become united as one WHOLE...then we can manifest super genious. Thanks
jay - USA
12706
Answer
Most people who experience time in slow motion are very aware of it. I am not sure that the subconscious or unconscious mind takes over in such a situation. Our view is that the passing of time is somehow consciously sensed. Note that for old people, time seems to move much faster. For example, see:
http://www.school-for-champions.com/senses/time.htm for more on that.
What your friend experiences when playing basketball sounds like the "flow" effect, where the concentration is so intense that time seems to slow down. Baseball great Ted Williams could observe the seams rotating on a fastball he was trying to hit.
But I think you've got some good ideas on the subject. One thought I had on the subconscious is that it is similar to a computer processing data in the background, while you are working on another application.
Ideas about experiencing slow motion
Question
June 19, 2006
2006-Jun-19 Mon 9:31 pm
Sensing in Slow Motion
The net, what a wonderful resource [for curious minds]! :-)
The girlfriend of a friend, was relating to me today, about a recent auto accident [nobody was hurt, except a kangaroo... oowwwrr! ] where she experienced Slow-Mo.
This reminded me of when i had a similar Slow-Mo experience, in my youth.
And so, when i got home today, i did a Google, on 'slow motion perception' and i found your site.
The experience, in my youth...
I was riding a motorcycle on a bitumen road, and came to a slow curve in the road, and i noticed ahead, that there was a streak of oil on the road.
I remembered thinking, "I can't avoid this oil patch on the road!", and as i rode over it [all leaned over, for the corner!], the motorcycle slid away from under me!
And the experience from that point forward, was all in Slow-Mo.
I remember sliding across the bitumen, and catching glimpses of my motorcycle doing the same.
Luckily we both came to rest with just a few scrapes!
But i was amazed at the time, about the changed perception of the passage of time that i had, during this experience.
And an explanation for Slow-Mo?
I can't prove it, but i believe that this phenomenon has something to do with the way our physical body is strongly bonded to our 'other' ['consciousness'?] 'body' [some people call this other body our astral body].
i.e. I believe that we all have more than one body. [More than just this physical body.]
In this life these two[?] 'bodies' appear to be strongly interlinked, and locked together.
But [i believe that] under some circumstances these two bodies can 'disengage' - for a [perceived] short period.
And i believe that at these times, we get a distorted perception, of an altered state of reality [but then, this may just be another part of the 'true' reality?] during these experiences?
This life... it is all about our perception! Yes? :-)
I don't use 'recreational drugs', but i am a person who [through my life] has had a number of out of body experiences.
They sometimes just happen spontaniously to me.
And Florian Boesch's experience "Was hit by a truck and went into slow motion", sounded a lot, to me, like he may have had a partial or whole 'out of body experience', during his Slow-Mo experience?
Want to experience Slow-Mo?
Perhaps you can try something like this...
I can remember that i used to have a strange change of 'perception' of experience, when [years ago] i used to briskly step up to a concrete walkway, off the carpark bitumen at the local supermarket [it was just a 6 inch step up].
I remember i used to have the perception that during this leap [up - both feet were off the ground] that i was almost 'flying'? that i was almost defying gravity?
And that time, seemed to slow somewhat, during this gravity defying feat! :-)
[And i usually could experience this on each visit to the supermarket! I always looked forward to the step-leap 'experience'. This only 'worked' if i did the 'leap up' and not just a casual step up, onto the walkway.]
I have since, injured my back some years ago, and now [while i can still walk ok] i can't experience this 'leap', anymore. :-(
But on reflection, i believe that this 'leap up', was giving me a type of Slow-Mo experience.
Slow-Mo, i believe is a 'real' experience, and that it is a [part of a natural?] change in our [range of] perceptions.
Perhaps Slow-Mo is [latent in us?] an ability that can be encouraged maybe?
Walter
Walter - Australia
11357
Answer
Thanks for sharing your experiences and ideas about perceiving time or events in slow motion. We feel that one of our senses concerns sensing time. In special situations, we seem to sense time in slow motion. But note how older people complain how fast time seems to go. See:
http://www.school-for-champions.com/senses/time.htm
Your method of experiencing slow motion sounds interesting and worth trying.
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