A new study has shed light on why time often feels like it’s passing quickly, especially during moments of joy.
The research suggests that this sensation is linked to the way our brains process time, rather than how clocks measure it.
According to the study from the University of Nevada, our brains do not track time in the same way that clocks do, which measure it minute by minute.
Instead, our perception of time is based on our experiences and activities.When people are bored or inactive, time seems to drag because there is little happening around them.
Conversely, when people are busy or engaged in stimulating activities, their brain activity speeds up, making time seem to pass faster.
The study involved experiments on rats, where researchers observed how different stimuli affected their perception of time. They found that repetitive activities alter brain function, impacting how time is perceived.
Further experiments on human factory workers revealed that the duration of tasks did not significantly affect their perception of time, indicating that the brain does not measure time in a straightforward manner.
Researchers found that when brain cells work together in response to dynamic activities, the sense of time passing is linked to task completion.
This phenomenon also applies to other activities outside physical exertion.The study also highlighted that engaging in conversations during meal times makes time seem to pass quickly.
The more occupied people are, the faster time appears to go, reinforcing the idea that time feels like it has “wings” during enjoyable activities.
The findings, published in Current Biology, suggest that more research is needed to confirm these results and explore how the perception of time affects memory and daily life.
Previous research has indicated that as people age, their internal brain clocks slow down, making life seem faster.
Other studies have pointed to a link between time perception and cognitive processing, suggesting that new experiences require more brain analysis, which can make time seem to move more slowly.
Additionally, it has been found that after the age of 20, the rate of dopamine release, a hormone associated with unique experiences, decreases, contributing to the feeling that time is speeding up.