Chapter 1
The brain's autopilot and why years vanish
Chapter 2
The oddball effect and the science of surprise
Chapter 3
The holiday paradox and the two minds of time
Chapter 4
Free falls and fear: can we see in slow motion?
Chapter 5
Stealing time back: how to live a longer life today
YOUR GOAL
Master of The mind's time machine
Ch 5 · Stealing time back: how to live a longer life today
artiteacher Slowing Down Time
Try something new! Try something new! And watch the clock slow down for you.
artiteacher Mindfulness practices like focusing on food tastes or surrounding sounds increase neural engagement, preventing the brain from compressing
artiteacher A diagram illustrates how routine accelerates time and surprise stretches a single moment
Fun Fact
The daily detour: Simply walking home via a completely new route can trigger enough neural novelty to make an entire afternoon feel significantly longer and more memorable.
Glossary
holiday paradox (noun)
The psychological phenomenon where a period of time filled with unique events feels fast in the moment but long in retrospect. Broadcaster Claudia Hammond coined the term to explain how memory-rich experiences retrospectively stretch our perception of time.
The psychological phenomenon where a period of time filled with unique events feels fast in the moment but long in retrospect. Broadcaster Claudia Hammond coined the term to explain how memory-rich experiences retrospectively stretch our perception of time.
Quiz
Which of the following is a simple, scientifically backed way to 'stretch' your perception of a work week?
Quiz
Which French philosopher proposed the proportional theory of time, comparing a year to a fraction of our total lifespan?
Quiz
Why is the mathematical 'lifespan fraction' theory of time perception considered incomplete by modern psychologists?
Quiz
What is the primary scientific reason that routines make our adult years seem to vanish so quickly?
Quiz
According to Paul Janet's theory, what fraction of their life is a single year to a fifty-year-old?
Quiz
Why does excessive screen time on smartphones make hours seem to fly by in an instant?
Quiz
How does practicing mindfulness help to slow down our subjective perception of daily time?
Quiz
What famous quote about time is often popular on social media and loosely connected to Albert Einstein?