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time perception

·July 16, 2025·5 min read

Running the Clock: Attention and Movement Skew Time Perception

A new study shows that the way we move our bodies can warp our sense of time — not just because of physical exertion, but because of the cognitive demands of motor control. Researchers found that participants overestimated stimulus durations while running, walking backward, or performing a distracting mental task, compared to standing still.

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·January 27, 2025·5 min read

How the Brain Processes Space and Time

New research highlights a functional hierarchy in the brain's processing of space and time. In posterior areas, like the occipital cortex, space and time are tightly linked and processed by the same neurons. In anterior regions, such as the frontal cortex, space and time are processed independently, with distinct neural populations forming "time maps" for specific durations.

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·January 2, 2025·6 min read

How Altered States of Consciousness Change Time Perception

Time perception varies depending on context, often slowing in emergencies or unfamiliar settings and speeding up during absorption or as we age. Time expansion experiences (Tees) occur when seconds stretch into minutes, frequently in accidents, sports, or moments of calm.

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·September 25, 2024·4 min read

How the Brain Encodes Time and Experiences

A new study reveals how specific brain cells in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex encode time and experiences, helping us form memories and predict future outcomes. These neurons fire in patterns reflecting the order of events, even replaying them after the experience is over. This groundbreaking discovery provides insight into how the brain integrates "what" and "when" information to form lasting memories.

This shows a man standing alone and a clock.

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·June 5, 2024·4 min read

Pandemic Loneliness Distorted Time Perception

Researchers found that pandemic-induced loneliness led to disorientation and time confusion. Surveying 3,300 French participants, the study revealed a strong link between social isolation and temporal disorientation. Young people under 25 were the most affected. The researchers call this phenomenon "temporal rupture," highlighting the pandemic's deep psychological impact.

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·May 13, 2024·4 min read

Exercise Warps Time Perception

People perceive time as moving slower when they are exercising compared to resting or post-exercise. The research involved participants undergoing a time perception task during different cycling conditions, including solo and competitive scenarios.

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·January 2, 2024·3 min read

Mind Over Matter: Perception of Time Influences Wound Healing

Perceived time significantly impacts the healing of physical wounds. Researchers found wounds healed faster when participants believed more time had passed, challenging conventional beliefs about psychological effects on physical health.

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·July 13, 2023·8 min read

Warping Time: How the Brain’s Inner Clockwork Dictates Behavior

In groundbreaking research, researchers revealed how neural activity influences our perception of time. The study artificially altered neural activity in rats, distorting their sense of time duration.

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·April 22, 2023·5 min read

500 Days of Solitude: One Woman’s Experience of Extreme Social Isolation Sheds Light on Time Perception

A woman who recently emerged from a cave after 500 days of isolation reported she rapidly lost her perception of time. Researchers explore how social isolation impacts time perception and the neurobiological mechanisms that may explain this phenomenon.

This shows the outline of a head made of clocks

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·March 13, 2023·4 min read

How Our Hearts Distort Our Perception of Time

Our perception of the passing of time may depend on signals that our brain receives from our bodies, specifically our heartbeats.

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·March 6, 2023·4 min read

‘Wrinkles’ in Time Experience Are Linked to Heartbeat

Momentary perceptions of time may stretch or shrink with each heartbeat and are not continuous, as previously thought.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·February 3, 2023·7 min read

Time Is Not What It Used to Be: Children and Adults Shown to Experience Time Differently

A switch of perceived ratio duration changes at age 7. Researchers say the concept of heuristics can help to explain differences in time perception in relation to a person's age.