As our heart rate changes, our perception of time changes.
Each person has his own internal clock, thanks to which we distinguish “long” from “quick”, and even without a chronograph we have an idea of how much time has passed since this or that event. But how exactly our internal chronograph works, scientists still do not know. However, it is known that the perception of time is not constant. For example, it changes with age, moreover, even at the same age in different situations, time can go differently for us – too fast or too slow. Of course, all “compressions” and “expansions” of time occur exclusively in our head, but what do they depend on at all? Versions are offered in a variety of ways, and according to one of them, the perception of time depends on heartbeats.
How does the human internal clock work?
Certain “clock neurons” are responsible for timing. However, some studies have shown that in addition to neurons, a psychological factor may play a role in this. For example, in children, the perception of time begins to change at the age of seven, but there is no change at the neural level. Scientists attribute this phenomenon to the fact that at the age of seven, children begin to count the time by the clock.
A new study by American scientists indicates that heart rate also contributes to the perception of time, as reported in the journal Psychophysiology. By the way, scientists have previously suspected that the heart can affect how we perceive time, since the frequency of contractions can change depending on how we perceive external stimuli. For example, when we are afraid, the heart starts beating faster. In other situations, it may, on the contrary, slow down.
Our subjective perception of time depends on many factors.
Does the heart really affect the perception of time?
To confirm or refute the version about the influence of the heart on the perception of time, scientists conducted a study involving 45 students aged 18 to 21 years. None of them had heart or hearing problems, which were also important in this experiment.
To capture the heart’s rhythm, the scientists used high-resolution electrocardiography, which can track the heart rate down to milliseconds. The ECG was connected to a computer that played short sounds after heartbeats. Each sound lasted a different time – from 80 to 180 milliseconds. The scientists then played another sound and asked the volunteers whether it was shorter or longer than the previous sounds.
The heart may help the brain keep track of short periods of time
I must say that although the heartbeats seem to us uniform, in fact their rhythm is far from even even in absolutely healthy people. This allowed scientists to figure out how changing the rhythm affects the perception of time. The sound seemed longer to the students than it actually was when it was preceded by a rapid heartbeat.
When the heartbeat was slower, it seemed to the students that the sound, on the contrary, was shorter than it was in reality. That is, the study showed that the perception of the duration of the sound was indeed associated with minor changes in heart rate.
Time flows slower for us when the heart starts beating faster
Why does the sense of time depend on the heart?
According to the researchers, when participants heard a sound, they focused their attention on it, resulting in an “orienting response.” This reaction, in turn, affected the heart rate, as a result of which it also changed the perception of time.
At first glance, such distortions in the perception of time may seem like a negative effect. But, on the other hand, the heart performs a certain function in the perception of time. According to scientists, it most likely helps the brain to fix the passage of time in the shortest periods that are not able to realize our thoughts and feelings. That is, the heart can be compared to a timer, which, unlike conventional watches, counts milliseconds.
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Summing up all of the above, it can be noted that the perception of time is a complex process that depends on a number of factors. Moreover, the most interesting thing is that the perception of time at the current moment and in memories can also be very different. For this reason, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed to people that time in quarantine flew by quickly, despite the fact that the days seemed very long.
