Speed of Thought

[t-star]

This question covers a few categories, but I'll put it here first.

 

If you are approaching the edge of a black hole and time is slowing down, what happens to your thoughts? Would the speed of your thoughts slow down too or would you continue to experience existence the same way for eternity?

 

[Strange]

Note that your time only appears to slow down from the point of view of an external obsever. You would notice nothing special as you fell towards and through the event horizon.

[Endercreeper01]

Well, relative to an outside observer, then I guess they would see that (if the could read your thoughts)

[t-star]

Good point, but does a thought itself have physical properties? What about consciousness?

[Strange]

Good point, but does a thought itself have physical properties? What about consciousness?

 

That sounds more like philosophy than science.

[imatfaal]

This is the physics forum - so let's not get too metaphysical. Apart from potential problems of tidal forces and x-ray/gamma ray emitting accretion discs - the poor soul falling towards an event horizon notices no change in his own time. Note that no one ever notices that their own time is slowed or speeded - you are always in your own frame of reference; other frames may change.

 

It is also best to avoid known breaches of laws of physics in gedanken - as soon as you have a breach of the rules (ie instantaneous communication of thought/information) then all bets are off and you cannot move forward.