Mitigation of Perceptual Time Compression

[Voidmatrix]

As I age I notice that time seems to be moving faster.

I'm aware this is probably not the case (unless we consider Shulgin's thoughts on the matter in TIHKAL) and it's a matter of perception.

This perception has made me a little anxious as I seem to be noticing the acceleration more lately.

In an effort to change my perception I'm going to try doing more new things: listen to new music, watch new television shows and movies (though I've been watching less as of late), etc.

Anyone else have any thoughts or insights?

One love

 

[strtman]

I think it is because the older you get the more you ‘think’ you are running out of time to do the things you want to do. So time becomes more an issue than before.

 

[Tomtegubbe]

As I age I notice that time seems to be moving faster.

I'm aware this is probably not the case (unless we consider Shulgin's thoughts on the matter in TIHKAL) and it's a matter of perception.

This perception has made me a little anxious as I seem to be noticing the acceleration more lately.

In an effort to change my perception I'm going to try doing more new things: listen to new music, watch new television shows and movies (though I've been watching less as of late), etc.

Anyone else have any thoughts or insights?

One love

I think it's quite natural. When you're a kid, every day is an adventure and you learn constantly something new. Not so much when you reach your 30's.

I think it's best not to fight it. The life will eventually be over at some point. It's best to focus on doing the things that are good and right today.

This excerpt is from the Pali Canon:

The Simile of the Mountain

“What do you think, great king? Suppose a man would
come to you from the east, one who is trustworthy and
reliable, and would tell you: ‘For sure, great king, you
should know this: I am coming from the east, and there I
saw a great mountain high as the clouds coming this way,
crushing all living beings. Do whatever you think should be
done, great king.’ Then a second man would come to you
from the west ... a third man from the north ... and a fourth
man from the south, one who is trustworthy and reliable,
and would tell you: ‘For sure, great king, you should know
this: I am coming from the south, and there I saw a great
mountain high as the clouds coming this way, crushing all
living beings. Do whatever you think should be done, great
king.’ If, great king, such a great peril should arise, such a
terrible destruction of human life, the human state being so
difficult to obtain, what should be done?”

“If, venerable sir, such a great peril should arise, such a
terrible destruction of human life, the human state being so
difficult to obtain, what else should be done but to live by
the Dhamma, to live righteously, and to do wholesome and
meritorious deeds?”

 

[Voidmatrix]

Thank you both.

And Tomtegubbe, great quote. Thank you

I think it is because the older you get the more you ‘think’ you are running out of time to do the things you want to do. So time becomes more an issue than before.

I think this can certainly be part of it. I also feel that it is due to the changing of relative perspective of time over time. When one is 3 years old, a year is 1/3 of their life. When one is 33 years old (such as myself), a year is 1/33 of my life. Pretty big difference.

I think it's best not to fight it. The life will eventually be over at some point. It's best to focus on doing the things that are good and right today.

Definitely not attempting to fight it, but rather embrace living a bit more. Due to various circumstances, I have been relatively sad most of my life. I am now desiring a cultivation of more satisfying memories through an augmentation of thinking that, while admirable (I suppose), has done me a great disservice, and through balanced action, self-acceptance and intentional living.

I shared this today because for the past several weeks there appears to be an exponential acceleration, and so has kind of sparked my anxiety a bit.

Perhaps this will be a necessary facilitator in moving past certain mental blocks (such as around going deeper psychedelically) and propel more of the changes in my mind and life that I have been striving for.

Thank you both again.

One love

 

[shroombee]

You are deeply aware this lifetime will not last forever. That's great. Now you can fully enjoy whatever time you have left. Be grateful for every day. For the time you wash the dishes, fix your bed, do the laundry, take a walk with your partner, wake up from a good dream, dance like no one is watching, etc. Bring attention to every moment. Focus on those things that bring the most joy and value to your life. Hint: It's not TV, Netflix, video games, news, politics, etc.

Good luck!

 

[Voidmatrix]

You are deeply aware this lifetime will not last forever. That's great. Now you can fully enjoy whatever time you have left. Be grateful for every day. For the time you wash the dishes, fix your bed, do the laundry, take a walk with your partner, wake up from a good dream, dance like no one is watching, etc. Bring attention to every moment. Focus on those things that bring the most joy and value to your life. Hint: It's not TV, Netflix, video games, news, politics, etc.

Good luck!

Thank you shroombee. It's something I've been aware of for a while, but the awareness appears to have shifted in flavor.

And thank you for your sentiment. I think we're all mostly aware of the diffulty I have in enjoying myself. I'm too rigid. Anyway, for me I think that will entail psychedelics, meditation, awareness, nature, interpersonal connections, music, philosophy, and a dash of video games (I'm bad at having fun so I'm going to allow myself this one ).

One love

Edit: forgot to add guidework and fitness in there.

 

[ephedra]

Interesting, I've been thinking the same thing last week and it's a topic that turns my mind on sometimes.

I kind of came to the idea that when I'm traveling it's like it's somehow I "getting ahead of time" in contrast to this unavoidable acceleration. I speak of traveling as physical movement and not mental travel. It is as if, as you travel, time dissolves into a different liquidity. It's curious, I also think that it may be related to the fact that when you are physically traveling you are exposed to many new stimuli, to a state that pushes you directly into the present consciously, and that sensation is so vivid that all your senses are really open. A state of perceptual alertness that makes you interpret time in a such a peculiar way, or maybe, the truth is, I don't know. I should make notes of the perception of time when I travel and contrast them with those of everyday life.

I also thought about this time thing in my last retrear, a kind of tech detox that I sometimes do, because my anxiety. And for some reason, at that moment when I was disconnected during the holidays, a book by Heidegger came to me where somewhere he deals with the concept of Langezeit. Which It is something like a time that is lived in an "extended" or slowed down way. It's interesting because it connects it with boredom. Boredom is like a bridge to the perception of that Langezeit it refers to. While I was reading all this, unplugged from some things that usually keep my attention well occupied, all those words made a lot of sense. You're escaping boredom to go after the fun stuff and there's something about boredom, when you dive deep into it, that makes you capture time in a different way. I do not know..

 

[Psilosopher?]

The sensation of time speeding up seems to be a product of adult life. Sinking into the mundane and repetitive nature of a career is the primary cause of this.

The brain remembers events in blocks. If you have a 5 year block of nothing but work, it's going to feel like one enormous event. "Geeze, it's already November! Where did the time go?". Sound familiar?

Novelty keeps the mind sharp and interested in minute details.

Strangely, time seems to fly when you're having fun, but seems to drag when you're waiting for something, especially if it's very dull. This only seems to be the case in immediate actions measured in minutes or hours, and not for days or years.

This is probably because you are not consciously thinking about how much time is elapsing when you're having fun, but are hypersensitive to it when you're agonisingly waiting for something.

Break up the routine, mix in a variety of activities (both boring and fun). Stop, look around and don't think about time. The more you are aware of your inevitable mortality, the faster it seems to get. That's the beauty of the inevitable, you don't have to remind yourself it's going to happen.

 

[Voidmatrix]

ephedra and Psilosopher?, thank you both

Interesting, I've been thinking the same thing last week and it's a topic that turns my mind on sometimes.

I kind of came to the idea that when I'm traveling it's like it's somehow I "getting ahead of time" in contrast to this unavoidable acceleration. I speak of traveling as physical movement and not mental travel. It is as if, as you travel, time dissolves into a different liquidity. It's curious, I also think that it may be related to the fact that when you are physically traveling you are exposed to many new stimuli, to a state that pushes you directly into the present consciously, and that sensation is so vivid that all your senses are really open. A state of perceptual alertness that makes you interpret time in a such a peculiar way, or maybe, the truth is, I don't know. I should make notes of the perception of time when I travel and contrast them with those of everyday life.

I also thought about this time thing in my last retrear, a kind of tech detox that I sometimes do, because my anxiety. And for some reason, at that moment when I was disconnected during the holidays, a book by Heidegger came to me where somewhere he deals with the concept of Langezeit. Which It is something like a time that is lived in an "extended" or slowed down way. It's interesting because it connects it with boredom. Boredom is like a bridge to the perception of that Langezeit it refers to. While I was reading all this, unplugged from some things that usually keep my attention well occupied, all those words made a lot of sense. You're escaping boredom to go after the fun stuff and there's something about boredom, when you dive deep into it, that makes you capture time in a different way. I do not know..

First, love Heidegger

I would certainly be interested in any notes you may take. Do you physically travel often. I think of the times that I've been out of the country, and how, with so much "newness," time isn't on the mind, but, as you stated, all awareness is connected to sensory input. So sometimes, because there is so much new input data from the senses, the brain is busier, and time seems to somewhat extend.

It's a little bit of a catch-22; want to be entertained, excited, have fun etc, then sacrifice the length of time, perceptually. OR, want to feel like there's "more time" then be bored and wishing you were doing something else :lol:

The sensation of time speeding up seems to be a product of adult life. Sinking into the mundane and repetitive nature of a career is the primary cause of this.

The brain remembers events in blocks. If you have a 5 year block of nothing but work, it's going to feel like one enormous event. "Geeze, it's already November! Where did the time go?". Sound familiar?

Novelty keeps the mind sharp and interested in minute details.

Strangely, time seems to fly when you're having fun, but seems to drag when you're waiting for something, especially if it's very dull. This only seems to be the case in immediate actions measured in minutes or hours, and not for days or years.

This is probably because you are not consciously thinking about how much time is elapsing when you're having fun, but are hypersensitive to it when you're agonisingly waiting for something.

Break up the routine, mix in a variety of activities (both boring and fun). Stop, look around and don't think about time. The more you are aware of your inevitable mortality, the faster it seems to get. That's the beauty of the inevitable, you don't have to remind yourself it's going to happen.

I think you're pretty spot-on. Much of what you've stated I have entertained and felt.

I may have to take you up on the not thinking about time, since a mental breakdown a decade ago, with time being a mjor conscious focus put me in the mental hospital for a short stint :lol: (dark humor)

What's interesting that I was able to notice today was that I had planned on journeying with changa after work. It was on my mind all day. And while enjoying work, I was excited to be off to journey (had some headway to make on a subbreakthough in hyperspace). Time took its time for me hahaha.

And I was able to suss out my anxiety about it as well: I simply haven't been "good" to myself in a long time, not doing what would bring me joy, and overall depriving myself in key ways for the wrong reasons.

Thank you both again

One love

 

[downwardsfromzero]

I always thought this was obvious: every subsequent day of your life is a smaller proportion of your whole life than the preceding one. Just think, the first day of your life was your whole life, the second one was but half of your life, the third one one third, and so on. Towards the end of your first year, one day becomes equivalent to just four minutes of the first day of your life when viewed as a proportion of the whole.

Maybe you should try cake:
[youtube]

 

[Voidmatrix]

I always thought this was obvious: every subsequent day of your life is a smaller proportion of your whole life than the preceding one. Just think, the first day of your life was your whole life, the second one was but half of your life, the third one one third, and so on. Towards the end of your first year, one day becomes equivalent to just four minutes of the first day of your life when viewed as a proportion of the whole.

Maybe you should try cake:
[youtube]

Most certainly, and yes I find it obvious as well. Tried to show that with one of my own temporal perception exception. The odd thing for me, and why I posted, was a percieved sense of an exponential acceleration to the percpetual change. Time started to move even faster over what felt to be a short period.

And that video was hilarious.

One love

 

[downwardsfromzero]

Glad you liked the video, I was literally crying with laughter after I found it. The original "music" is here though:
[youtube]

Back on topic, I would agree that concentrating on the 'problem' will only make it seem worse. Then again, while time didn't seem to be moving faster, I was surprised the other day to find that three weeks had gone past and I wasn't entirely sure what had happened. Or is it something that you notice because you have become accustomed to the time-dilating effect of psychedelics? Baseline time is quicker by comparison?

And I really should have taken a leaf out of my own book and seen that you had already written exactly what I wrote about in my last comment :lol: In my defence, it's often way past a sensible bedtime when I end up on here.

 

[Voidmatrix]

Back on topic, I would agree that concentrating on the 'problem' will only make it seem worse. Then again, while time didn't seem to be moving faster, I was surprised the other day to find that three weeks had gone past and I wasn't entirely sure what had happened. Or is it something that you notice because you have become accustomed to the time-dilating effect of psychedelics? Baseline time is quicker by comparison?

And I really should have taken a leaf out of my own book and seen that you had already written exactly what I wrote about in my last comment Laughing In my defence, it's often way past a sensible bedtime when I end up on here.

Not so much concentrating on it as much I seem to spontaneously notice it. But I also considered if psychedelic use is precipating this noticing and have yet to reach any kind of conclusion about that. I'll try to be sure to share any thoughts as they come up. I'm just looking at this as something to explore. It's not that big a deal (I feel that way after some changa ).

And you're all good. I knew it was late for you and also considered you may have had some rue in your system lol.

One love

 

[ephedra]

If I make a note of something on this, I will let you know, sure!
I would like to travel more, as I did before, when my mind was not so structured. Even traveling recently, I felt that I am not quite flexible or that I have resistance and do not give myself to that eternity of the present at all.

Oh, and I think many times going out to travel has saved me from having a mental breakdown. It's an interesting point of scape for all those saturated fluctuations. As if they needed space, movement and breathing.

 

[fink]

I have come to think of this phenomenon in terms of a computer system, which clearly some aspects of the animal brain are similar to. Our hard drives get full over time. There is less free disk space to record what is going on. I often dont clearly remember everything that happened yesterday. But I can instantly remember my friend's house phone number from 35 years ago.

Perhaps time is not really experienced as it happens at all. Only calculated by the volume of memory that has been stored. A day of amnesia never happened even though it was experienced at the time. Thus speeding up time infinitely.

Perhaps the secret to 'eternal life' is to never remember anything for longer than the precise moment it happens, while still recording every last nanosecond of data accurately. Clearing the disk instantly for the next moment to again fill a lifetime's worth of hard drive space.

The other answer I suppose is to have infinite disk space to record and keep everything. Looking back on a data bank of memory that contains an exact recording of infinitely fractionolised moments would make time seem to be eternal.

 

[Voidmatrix]

I have come to think of this phenomenon in terms of a computer system, which clearly some aspects of the animal brain are similar to. Our hard drives get full over time. There is less free disk space to record what is going on. I often dont clearly remember everything that happened yesterday. But I can instantly remember my friend's house phone number from 35 years ago.

Perhaps time is not really experienced as it happens at all. Only calculated by the volume of memory that has been stored. A day of amnesia never happened even though it was experienced at the time. Thus speeding up time infinitely.

Perhaps the secret to 'eternal life' is to never remember anything for longer than the precise moment it happens, while still recording every last nanosecond of data accurately. Clearing the disk instantly for the next moment to again fill a lifetime's worth of hard drive space.

The other answer I suppose is to have infinite disk space to record and keep everything. Looking back on a data bank of memory that contains an exact recording of infinitely fractionolised moments would make time seem to be eternal.

I'm assuming you've read Godel, Escher, Bach, by Douglas R Hofstadter? If not, based on what you've just stated, I highly recommend it. A lot of analogies between computer systems and human minds throughout.

Memory is mercurial, both in what we "know" about it and how we access it. I've come across conflicting information about whether there is a store limit to memory capacity, seeing some arguments that lead to resurfacing of lost memory. Does all experience reside within us.

I feel that for me this is calling me to better remember positive aspects of my past. Having depression and heightened sensitivity, my memory readily remembers more negatives than positives.

One love

 

[fink]

I have not come across that book, cheers for the recommendation. Some interesting ideas floating along the lines that memory could be stored in an external place and we all log in to our own highly secured accounts to remember things. Not sure if I see that, but I do feel pretty confident that in terms of retrieval of memory we all have some form of data storage limit.

Absolute everything goes in, down to the number of atmospheric molecules we brush into with each step. We are made of atoms that surely are aware of contact with external atoms. Yet fortunately evolution, or perhaps a god like programmer, has granted us the kindness of the highly sophisticated sensory filters to make the input more manageable.

I would hazard a guess that we assimilate good memories into positive energy that fuels our psyche ever forward. Much harder to convert bad memories into anything other than regression. Sometimes I learn a valuable lesson from a bad memory which converts into progression and can be wiped from the data bank. But the useless bad memories do tend to linger.

The fact I am still here and still moving forward reassures me that there must have been plenty of good memories that have been converted and wiped clean. The only good memories I store indefinitely are the ones that have still more energy to fuel me.

 

[Voidmatrix]

I have not come across that book, cheers for the recommendation. Some interesting ideas floating along the lines that memory could be stored in an external place and we all log in to our own highly secured accounts to remember things. Not sure if I see that, but I do feel pretty confident that in terms of retrieval of memory we all have some form of data storage limit.

Absolute everything goes in, down to the number of atmospheric molecules we brush into with each step. We are made of atoms that surely are aware of contact with external atoms. Yet fortunately evolution, or perhaps a god like programmer, has granted us the kindness of the highly sophisticated sensory filters to make the input more manageable.

I would hazard a guess that we assimilate good memories into positive energy that fuels our psyche ever forward. Much harder to convert bad memories into anything other than regression. Sometimes I learn a valuable lesson from a bad memory which converts into progression and can be wiped from the data bank. But the useless bad memories do tend to linger.

The fact I am still here and still moving forward reassures me that there must have been plenty of good memories that have been converted and wiped clean. The only good memories I store indefinitely are the ones that have still more energy to fuel me.

It's a pretty thick and somewhat dense read, but it's so rewarding. I'm planning on rereading it again soon.

So nonlocal memory retrieval? Sounds interesting. Not sure if I align much with it as well considering how highly subjective memory tends to be. But I've heard other ideas around nonlocal interaction of mind in existence.

And I don't think it works or operates that way for me, but your observations do make a lot of sense. I thank you for sharing.

One love

 

[Jupiter Man]

I agree; the more I age, the faster time goes by. There are a number of genes/neurons that control the perception of time. Perhaps the plasticity of these genes are changing as time goes on; however, when you say "time compression", the first thing I immediately think of is cannabinoids. The cannabinoid system is especially responsible for time dilation and time compression. It could be that as time goes on, the cannabinoid system in the human brain manifests itself in a more dense manner.

 

[Koduckushi]

I simply haven't been "good" to myself in a long time, not doing what would bring me joy, and overall depriving myself in key ways for the wrong reasons.

Oh man, that touches home for me. I find it hard to ease up on the tension I put on myself. "You don't make enough, how are you going to afford a house?" "you don't work hard enough, how are you going to ever make more money?" "You aren't a good enough partner to your girlfriend, you don't deserve the love she gives you." etc.

My perception of time doesn't help with these thoughts sometimes. I fear that my best years are behind me, and that I won't/can't change fast enough to find peace with the tempest in my mind.

I find that the intentions for my journeys into hyperspace are to quell this "fly paper trap" way of thought. So far so good.

Like many others have mentioned already, I think a large part of the answer is trying to experience "new" things. The constant repetition of work, relax/prep for work, sleep, make time seem to fly by.

Best wishes to all.