“The Perception of Time: Understanding Time Control and Its Psychological Effects”
A Real Incident from My Life
Once, I was traveling in a bus, sitting by the window seat. As usual, I never used my mobile phone; instead, I preferred to enjoy the view outside. It seemed like a normal day, with people rushing to their work, students wearing uniforms and carrying bags on their shoulders, waiting for buses. Some were riding their bikes to avoid being late. Suddenly, everything around me seemed to slow down. It felt as if cars were moving in slow motion, and the trees appeared frozen in their places. People sitting behind me seemed to be speaking, but their voices echoed in my brain, while their lips moved so slowly that I was able to read their lips. It was quite weird for me, and at the same time, I was scared of being in a situation I didn’t understand. In the following days, I had a few more episodes that led me to research about it.
What I Came to Know
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After conducting some research, I discovered that I was not the only one who had experienced this situation. About 90% of rescue teams and police forces have encountered a similar phenomenon. Whenever they are on a mission or in critical situations like bomb blasts, open firing, or serious accidents, they claim to feel as if time has come to a halt and things have slowed down.
Why It Happens
This effect is not a brain dysfunction but rather a neurological or psychological trick that our ancestors developed as a survival aid. This trick increases our chances of survival because it gives us time to take action. Our brain also slows down in such emergency situations because the number of perceptions and impressions increases drastically within a few seconds. In such cases, our brain takes time to absorb the shocking information. This effect has also been noticed in other situations, such as when a person is under the influence of drugs. Additionally, the brain can also manipulate the perception of time during deep meditation. It is clear that the time we experience is not fixed but rather depends on our brain’s state.
How to Control Time
Now, you might be wondering how we can control time. While we cannot control time itself, we can slow it down according to our perception. This state is often referred to as the “zero thought zone.” It is when we bring our brain to a state where it is devoid of thoughts. When we are able to control our thoughts, our brain can make seconds feel like minutes. According to research, an average human being has 25,000 to 50,000 thoughts in a day. In today’s era, filled with an abundance of information (both useful and unnecessary), it has become increasingly difficult for us to have control over our thoughts. However, through deep meditation and training our brain to be calm and peaceful with minimal thoughts, we can undoubtedly gain more time to come up with better ideas compared to others.
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