Time refers to progressed existence that continues indefinitely and manifests irreversibly from past occurrences into the future. The concept has become an important subject in various fields that even make attempts to ascertain its incorporation into the measuring systems used. Additionally, human beings invented numerous devices to facilitate their measurement. The Egyptians developed a tool in c. 1500 BC that relied on the crossbar's shadow to determine the amount of time that had passed. Over time, the clepsydra gained popularity owing to its precision, whereas Chinese inventors developed a mechanical clock that relied on escapement mechanisms in the 11th century. Even so, the mind extensively determines our perception of time, resulting in subjective experiences. Furthermore, the brain continuously synchronizes various incoming signals obtained from an individual's environment. Under such circumstances, people indicate a propensity of interpreting an event's duration differently. A primary determining factor relates to how the central nervous system capitalizes on the environment's information. Felt time manifests in the sense that individuals anticipate certain scenarios which they eventually experience. However, the event eventually becomes relegated to their past. Humans indicate a tendency of relying on spatial metaphors with respect to time despite the cultural differences evident. The current paper aims at examining how the mind creates our sense of time by analyzing David Eagleman’s “ Brain Time ,” Eva Hoffman’s “ Time in Our Time ” and Marc Wittman’s “ In the Moment: Three Seconds of Presence .”
The different regions in the brain influence an individual's sense of time, including the frontal cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. They facilitate the reception, association, and interpretation of data within milliseconds or even minutes. Units reflecting inflows or outflows facilitate the representation of subjective durations as per the dual klepsydra concept assuming functions affiliated with leaky integrators. Unit-related functions indicate some alignment with the techniques observed in water clocks underscored by the movement of water in accordance with the state accumulated momentarily (Eagleman, 2019). The DKM concept provides an avenue of highlighting how body signals become integrated to ensure that supra-second ranges represent time effectively. Neural mechanisms operating separately collaborate, thus underpinning time-related perceptions that have a marked susceptibility to psychiatric disorders and neurological ailments. In comparison, sensory and cognitive processes that deviate from creating time-related perceptions indicate a propensity or fulfill the roles commonly associated with interval timers. However, some situations harbor various aspects that make it difficult for them to operate in concert with each other (Eagleman, 2019). The brain indicates a tendency of integrating visual stimuli within a short time, particularly where enhancements involve temporal resolutions. Eagleman asserts that a close link exists between time and processes that culminate in forming memories.
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More specifically, the amygdala facilitates the development of such connections. Its involvement facilitates the provision of flashback memories, especially in circumstances that involve stress disorders that manifest after specific trauma. In such scenarios, the brain stores the information making its retrieval considerably easy. Instances culminating in the replay of such high-density data catapult a perception that the event lasted for a long duration. On the other hand, age progression exposes an individual to the compression of how the brain represents occurrences. As such, adults tend to develop impoverished memories. In comparison, a child considers their experiences as new. Thus, they create rich memories resulting in the impression pertaining to the drastic passage of time. The variations evident regarding models that focus on cognitive or neural processes become justifiable due to timing mechanisms that operate at varied time scales. More specifically, temporal intervals that occur in milli-seconds become subject to different sensory processes as opposed to those that manifest over a longer duration.
The process through which the brain develops time-related perceptions mandates an evaluation of where signals occur in an individual's mind and the accompanying conditions. The nervous system encounters numerous difficulties with respect to feature-binding. The concept emphasizes on ascertaining that the features are attributable to a given object remain perceptually united (Wittman, 2016). Despite their varied nature, neural streams undertake the responsibility of ascertaining the effect of processing of information. Even so, the effective coordination of different senses provides an avenue for binding to occur. The process also relies on the efficiency of various aspects relating to an individual's sensory modalities. Feature-binding functions appropriately where the brain executes temporal-binding as necessary. The process provides an avenue through which the brain associates events with their correct time. Under such circumstances, processing streams acquire various stimuli that become subject to evaluation. After the acquisition of such data from the surroundings, it requires some combination to form units (Wittman, 2016). As such, it mandates the brain's temporal integration that requires utmost three seconds before a person can decipher various events that occur individually.
The brain faces a challenge with respect to the speed at which it executes the processes mandating an accompanying account for the accruing disparities. As such, it can effectively establish the appropriate timing relationship affiliated with specific sophisticated features. The exceptional resolution prevalent among human beings that facilitates their ability to make temporal judgments emanates from their intricately designed visual system that facilitates the consideration of outside events with precision. The structures involved spread out signals within a short amount of time. Furthermore, an individual’s visual brain uses 1/10 of every second that facilitates the acquisition of the slowest details. Thus, the brain subjects such signals to automatic resynchronization. In the process of waiting, any prevalent delays become subject to the same discount by the visual system, particularly where they occurred during the initial phases. The strategy ensures accurate object recognition that occurs independently without taking into account lighting conditions.
The brain constructs time perception, easily manipulated experimentally. In some cases, individuals may even experience temporal illusions. More specifically, the mind creates a mirage that highlights the steady flow of time. Eagleman asserts that it culminates in “optical illusions in which things appear different from how they really are” (Eagleman, 2019, n.p). Temporal illusions often contribute to time’s subjective nature determining how the subconscious mind regards a person’s lived experiences. In some cases, subjective experiences become apparent as a result of the cognitive efforts necessary for the completion of a given task in addition to the required emotional effort. The illusions manifest in different forms. For instance, an individual may experience chronostasis when they look at a clock and notice its second hand slightly linger owing to the processes facilitating their brain’s coordination with the eyes. Furthermore, an oddball effect may become apparent in the circumstances involving repeated messages. Unique circumstances result in a slowing down of an individual’s perception of time. Additionally, eye movements that occur rapidly result in the distortion of perceived durations. The prevalence of such occurrences emanates from how the “brain builds a representation of time” (Eagleman, 2019, n.p). Even so, time deviates from the provisions commonly associated with a unitary phenomenon. The brain also deals with challenges emanating from casualty by relying on subjective timing. Under such circumstances, the Reliance on temporal order judgment becomes mandatory.
Currently, most individual syndicate and prefer to operate in environments that focus on the abstract miniaturization of time, culminating in its experiential reduction to a given instance. As a result, individuals indicate a gradual transformation of their contemporary constructions about their lived experiences. Such situations subjects texturized dimensionality to jeopardy, especially where digital time mandates some consideration. Technological gadgets have become an integral part of performing man's mental operations, sometimes substituting their faculties. More specifically, systems that facilitate satellite navigation become an integral aspect of an individual's spatial orientation (Hoffman, 2009). The applications currently available provide an avenue through which individuals can subject their mental operations to externalization. The brain requires the effective evaluation of available information to make accurate time-related interpretations. However, current trends highlight an increased propensity of individuals to accumulate their knowledge on different internet sources (Hoffman, 2009). Under such circumstances, the information stored fails to undergo any form of modification. Through stacking, it becomes difficult for an individual to experience intersubjectivity that mandates precisely deepened and developed knowledge that catapults some understanding which becomes prevalent gradually.
The hyperspeeds that rely on massive skills for operation purposes extensively contribute to continuously for containing formation. It negatively affects historical time. The coagulation of disparate occurrences to culminate in events from respective political spaces mandates the formulation of the appropriate connections necessary in catapulting some reflection to ascertain their meaning. It also makes it possible for individuals to see the resultant shapes. However, contemporary society creates a situation in which individuals receive information indiscriminately from various sources. As such, the present perpetually vanishes, making it difficult for individuals to contemplate on the details provided and the relationships prevalent between occurrences. Thus, it makes it difficult to develop historical links.
The ability of an individual to enjoy time within a given frame requires their mindfulness. More specifically, the mass indicates a capacity of regarding their present moments with concentration. It also mandates some attentive focus on the experiences at hand and the accruing thoughts or feelings while refraining from making any deliberate attempts on their evaluation. A wandering mind subjects a person to distractions from their present. Every moment has its own duration that facilitates the prevalence of individual events (Wittman, 2016). Even so, temporal segments facilitate the occurrence of perception. An individual's ability to experience their respective surroundings often entails temporary patterns formed coherently relating to a specified amount of time. The present indicates an inherently temporary nature that acts as a building block with respect to how individuals formulate time-related experiences. The perceptions and actions involved in such circumstances make it difficult for people to have an efficient understanding of themselves despite the world's complexity. Under such circumstances, people tend to rely on the linguistic capabilities that underscore their narrative self. More specifically, people formulate stories that foster an understanding of their personality and aspects pertaining to what they do or what they want. The development of such accounts requires effective utilization of time and integrates duration-related experiences. It highlights a specific origin and various actions that have the potential to manifest in future.
In conclusion, neural mechanisms affect people’s duration-related experiences, whereas neural activities determining their perceptions regarding time. The brain primarily relies on various cues in an individual’s environment to develop various time perceptions. However, connecting the brain’s mechanisms to the information obtained from the surroundings sometimes results in temporal illusions. Aspects such as a person’s age act as a subjective factor in determining whether the duration scheduled for various events flows swiftly or slowly. The contemporary environment exposes individuals to different forms of data culminating in numerous difficulties where their underlying interconnections mandate some consideration. As such, historical time becomes negatively affected.
References
Eagleman, D. (2019, June 23). Brain Time. Edge . https://eagleman.com/blog/brain-time
Hoffman, E. (2009). Time in Our Time. In Time (1st ed.). New York: Picador.
Wittman, M. (2016). In the Moment: Three Seconds of Presence. In Felt Time: The Psychology of How We Perceive Time (E. Butler, Trans.). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2016. Print.
