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time slows down

chanrattchanratt Veteran
edited November 2010 in Meditation
i just have a quick question for all of you that have practiced mindfulness/meditation etc. i started my practice a few months ago and have been happy to see that instead of time just flying by,(which used to stress me out because i felt that life was going to fast) it has slowed down a great deal. i think this may have something to do with being present instead of the past and future, which seems to make sense. has anyone else had this experience?

Comments

  • edited July 2010
    I have had this experience.

    Mindfulness, meditation, and practicing presence do indeed seem to "slow time" (which to me suggests that time is relative, as Einstein believed).

    If I waste my time watching TV or something, I find that time rushes by, and before I know it, a significant part of my life has evaporated, never to be regained.

    Just eliminating television from one's life would amount to a gain of years of extra life. (I'm a firm believer in the "Kill Your TV" way of thinking.)
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    edited July 2010
    Yes I have noticed this too, it is great is it not :P

    I also heard from a monk that we should not worry about time going too fast ot not having done this in our life, or that we have wasted our time because this is one life among many :) We have plenty of lives to learn and do we what we wish.

    I don't watch tv anymore, I prefer the company of myself or to sit on the rooftop and watch the beauty of nature. I feel that tv sedates us and corrupts the mind lol
  • edited July 2010
    zendo wrote: »
    Mindfulness, meditation, and practicing presence do indeed seem to "slow time" (which to me suggests that time is relative, as Einstein believed.

    What we call the passage of time is a bit different than the Einstein-ian relativity of time. Time really is one of the great mysteries of theoretical physics. It often boils down to the question: does time actually exist independently of observation, or is it simply a construct of our experience passing from singular moment to singular moment? When we say time flies or time slows down in regard to personal experience, it is simply a speeding up or a slowing down of our perception of the passing moments. But when Einstein's theory of relativity proved that time is relative, that had to do with the effects that near-lightspeed velocities and high gravitational fields had on the relative passage of time between two objective observers (synchronized clocks) in different frames of reference.

    The two concepts shouldn't be confused, unless of course you ate a supermassive black hole for dinner, in which case you should probably go consult a physician. :p

    BB
  • RichardHRichardH Veteran
    edited July 2010
    During a long knee-pained retreat an hour of sitting seems like million years. Then at other times, when resistance has given-way, the bell seems to ring just after I've settled on the cushion. In general I'm not inclined to think about the future much except for practical planning, so the present moment opens out.
  • still_learningstill_learning Veteran
    edited July 2010
    I too, have had that experience.

    My perception of time changes. Time slows down to a crawl during meditation. That's a good thing for me. I let myself enjoy/appreciate every tenth of a second of peace.
  • DaltheJigsawDaltheJigsaw Mountain View Veteran
    edited August 2010
    Great thread!
    Time does indeed slow down when meditating...
  • betaboybetaboy Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Old thread but I am curious.

    Normally, time flies when we're enjoying ourselves and it slows down while waiting or doing something boring. Does that mean meditation is boring?:confused:
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    edited October 2010
    I don't think so, well personal opinion. I have come to realise personally that time seems to speed up during meditation for me now. Maybe because I am more skilled at meditation that I use to be, who knows.
  • ShiftPlusOneShiftPlusOne Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Huh? That's because it's faster to think something than to actually do it. You experience things faster, therefore time feels slower. Nothing tricky here.
  • betaboybetaboy Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Huh? That's because it's faster to think something than to actually do it. You experience things faster, therefore time feels slower. Nothing tricky here.

    Sorry, I don't get it. Could you please explain?
  • ShiftPlusOneShiftPlusOne Veteran
    edited October 2010
    It's a bit hard to explain. It comes down to what you're focused on. When you're doing something fun, you focus on that activity. You don't think about all the time that's spent on things that aren't related to the activity. When you block out all the actions which aren't relevant, it feels like they didn't happen, but the time still passes.

    Your mind can fast-forward thoughts. If I say "imagine yourself jumping" you can instantly imagine what jumping is without having to imagine it 'realtime'. The action of jumping in your imagination will take a shorter amount of time than a real jump.

    In normal circumstances, you can't fast-forward, so time passes during trivial things. In your mind, trivial things can be dismissed instantly. If that makes sense...

    Another example is this... we dream for only about 15 minutes at a time, yet sometimes dreams can feel quite complex and lengthy. Again, that's because you can instantly imagine circumstances without them having to develop in your mind.
  • edited November 2010
    It's a bit hard to explain. It comes down to what you're focused on. When you're doing something fun, you focus on that activity. You don't think about all the time that's spent on things that aren't related to the activity. When you block out all the actions which aren't relevant, it feels like they didn't happen, but the time still passes.

    Your mind can fast-forward thoughts. If I say "imagine yourself jumping" you can instantly imagine what jumping is without having to imagine it 'realtime'. The action of jumping in your imagination will take a shorter amount of time than a real jump.

    In normal circumstances, you can't fast-forward, so time passes during trivial things. In your mind, trivial things can be dismissed instantly. If that makes sense...

    Another example is this... we dream for only about 15 minutes at a time, yet sometimes dreams can feel quite complex and lengthy. Again, that's because you can instantly imagine circumstances without them having to develop in your mind.

    It's weird, it's like I get it, but at the same time, I don't. I've pondered on this response for a while now. Maybe my mind is exhausted from a full-day's work.
  • edited November 2010
    To me mindfulness and meditation has an effect on time that can't be described. It feels to me like it speeds up and slows down at the same time.
  • edited November 2010
    TheJourney wrote: »
    To me mindfulness and meditation has an effect on time that can't be described. It feels to me like it speeds up and slows down at the same time.

    Whoa, how so? That's an interesting experience. Almost paradoxical, perhaps?
  • edited November 2010
    Whoa, how so? That's an interesting experience. Almost paradoxical, perhaps?

    It's reallly difficult to explain. That's how i've felt since i've gotten into this whole thing. It's like...all of the positive experiences of time going slow and all of the positive experiences of time going fast mix. I understand it doesn't make logical sense, but that's my experience.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited November 2010
    It's like in the movie Inception, where increased brain activity (here awareness of each moment, less "blending" of moments) causes a perceptual slowdown of "time". When the brain focuses, "time" which is observance of change, is interrupted. There have been accounts of people in extraordinary life-threatening situations whose minds have gone into overdrive, allowing them to successfully navigate the situation in a very limited amount of time to save their lives or others' lives.
  • edited November 2010
    I thought of a decent way to describe what I mean by it feels like time speeds up and slows down at the same time the other day. I forgot to post it though. I just thought of what it might have been but i'm not 100%. Basically since i've calmed my mind i'm quite absorbed into whatever i'm doing. This makes me appreciate every detail. In this sense it feels like time slows down. However, also since i'm absorbed and enjoying what i'm doing, time goes by fast.
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    edited November 2010
    blah to time, bleeeehhh to timing meditation and meh to how long I have been sitting, it does not matter :)
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