Time perception

A Subtle Boundary Between Brain, Experience, and Reality

Time perception is one of the most fascinating phenomena of the human mind. Although it is linked to the movement of clocks and the rotation of the Earth, what we experience internally is far from objective. A minute can feel endless when waiting for an important result, while an hour can fly by during an enjoyable conversation.

Psychological time, different from physical time, is a construct of the brain: we measure it with memory, attention, emotions, and anticipation. Science tells us that we do not have a single, centralized “internal clock,” but rather a complex network of neural processes that integrates sensory signals, affective states, and cognitive functions. For this reason, our temporal experience is plastic, changeable, and context-sensitive.

Understanding time perception means understanding how we function: how we make decisions, manage waiting, and evaluate opportunities and risks. It also means recognizing that our psychological well-being depends on our ability to inhabit time in a balanced way, neither trapped in the past nor rushing toward the future.

Subjective time perception influences creativity, relationship quality, productivity, and even physical health. Recent studies have shown connections between stressWhat is stress? From a clinical perspective, stress is a phy... More, attention disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and alterations in temporal perception. We live in an accelerated era: continuous notifications, multitasking, tight deadlines. In this context, perceived time fragments. Taking care of our internal rhythm is not a luxury but an essential mental skill. LearningIl termine apprendimento - con i sinonimi imparare, assimila... More to recognize how we feel time means recovering presence, clear decision-making, and the ability to fully experience human life.

How Does the Brain Construct Time?

To understand how we perceive time, it is useful to observe the main brain areas and functions involved. No single structure is responsible for temporal scanning: perception arises from systemic cooperationThe silent force that holds human groups together Cooperatio... More. Here are some fundamental components contributing to our temporal experience:

Basal Ganglia

They regulate motor and cognitive timing. They help us predict the duration of actions, coordinate movements, and anticipate the sequence of events. A concrete example: walking and talking while maintaining a natural rhythm thanks to these circuits.

Prefrontal Cortex

It integrates memory, attention, and future planning. When we need to estimate how long a task will take, it is here that the prediction is constructed. Errors in this area can lead to overestimating or underestimating durations.

Cerebellum

Crucial for measuring short intervals. It allows us to perceive milliseconds and seconds, essential for listening to music, speaking, or driving a car.

Hippocampus

Linked to memories and the sense of continuity. Without it, we would perceive only separate moments; thanks to the hippocampusThe hippocampus is a part of the brain located in the inner ... More, we recognize before and after, constructing temporal narratives.

Dopaminergic System

It modulates the speed at which we feel time. High dopamineA neurotransmitter found in the brain and central nervous sy... More levels accelerate perception, while low levels slow it down (e.g., in depressionDepression is a disorder characterized by persistent sadness... More). Time is not measured but continuously reconstructed. Each moment takes shape from the interaction between what we experience, what we remember, and what we anticipate.

Why Does Time Sometimes Seem to Fly and Other Times Drag?

The speed at which we experience time varies according to emotions, attention, and context. Often, it is not the actual duration of events that determines our experience, but the cognitive load they require. Understanding these factors allows us to consciously shape our relationship with time, making it richer, more perceptible, and more fully experienced. Key psychological factors that expand or contract perceived time include:

• Intense emotions. Fear slows perceived time: the brain records more details and neural impulses intensify. Conversely, euphoria accelerates perception, as happens during a concert or falling in love.
• Focused attention. When we are immersed in an activity, the passage of minutes becomes secondary. This phenomenon is known as flow, a state of total and rewarding concentrationWhat concentration really is and why it’s so hard to maint....
• Boredom and cognitive inactivity. The absence of stimuli amplifies interval perception. Waiting in line feels endless, not because it actually lasts longer, but because the brain has no tasks to engage it.
• Routine and episodic memory. The more a day resembles others, the fewer memories we produce. In retrospect, it seems to have passed in a flash. Days filled with new experiences, instead, remain dense in memory and are perceived as longer.

Does Time Perception Change with Age, Lifestyle, and Social Context?

Temporal perception is not a fixed universal experience: it varies with growth, culture, and societal pace. There are notable differences among individuals and groups, observable in many aspects of daily life. Key variables that modify how we experience time include:

Chronological age. For children, time seems vast and infinite; for adults and the elderly, it tends to accelerate. One theory suggests that as life progresses, routines fill our days, reducing novelty and therefore memory density.

Lifestyle and stress. A fast-paced life leads to perceiving time as insufficient, creating permanent anxietyAnxiety is an emotional response characterized by feelings o... More and urgency. Conversely, slow practices such as meditationThere are many ways to define meditation, but perhaps the si... More or mindful walks expand temporal perception and calm the nervous system.

Culture and social organization. Industrialized societies experience time as a productive resource; other cultures perceive it as cyclical, natural, and less tied to deadlines. This difference influences values, relationships, and priorities.

Digitalization and multitasking. Technology fragments attention, generating micro-intervals that alter the perception of temporal flow. Endless scrolling of digital content creates a sensation of time evaporating, consumed without memory.

Understanding these factors also invites reflection on the quality of our time: not just how much we have, but how we experience it.

Can We Train Time Perception to Improve Well-Being?

Our temporal perception is not fixed: it can be modulated, educated, and made more conscious. Slowing down or expanding perception does not stop clocks, but intervenes in the mental and attentional processes that interpret them. Strategies supported by scientific evidence include:

• Mindfulness meditation. Reduces mental noise and increases awareness of the present. Practiced consistently, it modifies neural attention circuits, leading to a more relaxed perception of time.
• Immersive and creative activities. Writing, music, sports, or crafts induce flow states that expand the quality of time and reduce the sense of rush.
• Reducing multitasking. Doing one thing at a time improves cognitive efficiency and restores experiential continuity, making time feel fuller and less fragmented.

Ritual and meaning. Establishing conscious routines (like an evening tea, slow reading, a walk) allows us to mark time with presence, creating memory and inner grounding.

Chrono-empathy. Means understanding your internal rhythm, adapting it to the body and not just to obligations. Those who practice chrono-empathy learn to distinguish when they need speed and when they need slowness.

We cannot control time, but we can learn to better feel how we move through it.

Toward a New Relationship with Time: The Future of Our Perception

Time perception is destined to transform with technological, social, and psychological evolution. Artificial intelligenceArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing field of s... More, augmented reality, biometric devices, and digital environments are creating new forms of presence and duration. In a sense, we are delegating portions of our memory and attention to machines, letting them measure, remember, and plan. This can improve life quality by freeing mental resources, but it also carries a risk: losing sensitivity to lived time, the depth of anticipation, and the value of experience.

In the future, we may learn to coexist with a dual time: external, clock-based time governed by algorithms and productivity, and internal, more fluid and personal time. The challenge will be to integrate speed and experience, efficiency and memory, progress and depth. A new temporal culture may emerge, valuing slowness, care for relationships, and empty spaces as essential for psychological balance. Teaching time perception means investing in collective mental healthWhat is meant by mental health? According to the World Healt... More. Introducing it in schools, workplaces, and social contexts could reduce stress, burnoutBurnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaus... More, and isolation while promoting widespread well-being. Time is not only what flows: it is what we live, remember, and create. Learning to perceive it consciously is perhaps one of the most radical acts of freedom.