Perception Of Time

[Richie_Rich]

Ok so the basics are I have a new partner and we love each other's company to bits, when we are together time flies by, I have googleeyed this and understand pretty much why, ie. the brain is pre-occupied to actually notice time, the opposite I guess of 'a watched pot never boils'. But what I can't seem to find the answer to is why when we went out for a meal only 24 hours ago, it actually seems ages ago, more like a few days.... being of very curious mind, I was just wondering if anyone had a theory what was going on? TIA Richie_Rich

[StringJunky]

In the short time that has passed you have experienced a lot of new and varied memories and I think it's this that gives an expanded sense of time. Take the opposite instance, for contrast, where the years seem to fly...."it only seems like yesterday"...this is due to everyday being the same so you don't remember them and your mind casts back to the last significant (to you) event, 'editing out' the mundane times, giving you a sense of a shortened past; it's analogous to snipping a section of videotape of a film to get rid of the boring bit and rejoining it! I can't prove this but that's my take.

 

Lesson to learn here is if you want live a subjectively longer life, make sure what you do today is different to what you did yesterday...variety!

Edited December 8, 2011 by StringJunky