The change is subjective, but appears real to those living it

Jul 23, 2012 15:32 GMT  ·  By
Experiencing something awesome or extraordinary changes our perception of time
   Experiencing something awesome or extraordinary changes our perception of time

Have you ever noticed how time appears to be slowing down when you're experiencing something out of the ordinary, or something awesome? Researchers at the Stanford University and the University of Minnesota noticed it too, and set out to investigate why this happens.

They wanted to see how people become overwhelmed with awe inside the lab, and set up a series of experiments meant to put people in this state of mind. They noticed that participants tended to report that they felt as if they simply had more time available.

Following such an event, test subjects were also more patient, less materialistic, and more likely to volunteer time in order to help others. Based on these data, experts concluded that living through awesome experiences literally slows down our perception of time, PsychCentral reports.

The change is so significant that it also contributes to influencing the patterns in which we normally take decisions. Now that is truly something worthy of contemplation.