"Temporal Reflections: Navigating the Illusions of Time and Perception"

When a moment becomes a part of the past, can it ever truly be relived? Sure, my beard will grow back, but it won't be the same beard, and it won't adorn the same face. It'll be on a slightly older, different version of me—Michael. Yet, the bearded Michael of yesteryear isn't completely gone; he lingers in our minds as a memory and through the records of the past, like images and videos.

Hi, I'm the slightly older, different Michael you've heard about. I'm now 130 days older than that guy. Time flies, doesn't it? It's astonishing how 130 days can feel like such a short while. It's akin to an optical illusion distorting our sense of sight, but temporal illusions, distorting our sense of time, can be just as perplexing.

Some of these illusions are subtle, like a minute in a queue that seems to stretch endlessly, while an entire day with friends can slip away unnoticed. Others run deeper, such as the uncanny feeling we get from old recordings that make people from the past seem more vivid than usual. Or the peculiar way time seems to slip away—for instance, the songs I cherished as a child, like "Wannabe," "Mmmbop," and "Semi-Charmed Life," are now as old to today's kids as the "oldies" were when I was born. It's a bewildering realization that, yes, I am getting older.

These temporal illusions aren't mere mistakes; they are the edges of another dimension of space-time. Not one bestowed upon us by physics, not one given at all, but rather one crafted by our minds. Let's delve into the various ways we perceive time.

Feeling time prospectively involves consciously tuning into the passage of time as it happens, while feeling time retrospectively involves reflecting on past experiences. The Holiday Paradox exemplifies how the same duration can feel drastically different based on whether the activity is empty or full. An empty activity is monotonous and unimportant, while a full activity is rich with sensations and challenges.

But does time speed up as we age? Many feel that way, as childhood seems to stretch indefinitely, while the decades fly by in adulthood. The proportion theory suggests that time feels faster as we age because each new unit of time is a smaller fraction of our entire existence. However, the speed of decades appears to plateau after the age of 50.

Chronological illusions also play a role. We tend to perceive events as longer or shorter based on their fullness or emptiness. Moreover, our memory's ability to recall events influences how we perceive their duration. The awareness of how few days are memorable over time leads to the distortion of chronological perceptions.

This distortion extends to our conceptualization of time, as we impose artificial divisions on the continuous flow of experience. The world is not made up of distinct entities; it's a continuity of overlapping events. Periodization, or the division of time into contrived segments like the Stone Age or the Renaissance, contributes to these illusions. The conceptual comparison heuristic, which judges temporal distance based on conceptual similarity, further shapes our perception of time.

The chronostatic illusion, where we believe our place in time is stable, adds another layer. Recognizing that our perspective is just one among many—chrono saunder—challenges this illusion. It's essential to overcome protagonist syndrome and realize that others, both past and present, have rich and complex lives.

The TV paradox introduces a new temporal pattern—short short. Engaging in rapid, stimulating experiences can make time feel shorter during and after, but these experiences often lack meaningful connections and fail to accumulate significant memories.

In our fast-paced digital age, where information is dehumanized and decontextualized, we must adapt to the changing nature of time. The conquest of time has made our lives smaller, leaving us with less time and more isolation. Yet, amidst this transition, finding moments to slow down, be bored, and experience time in its fullness is crucial. In the meantime, as we navigate this ever-evolving temporal landscape, we can appreciate the records we create and the stories we tell.

And as always, thanks for reading.