Slow motion

[Shannon]

Does anyone know why time seems to slow down when something traumatic is happening? My daughter's dad got in a car accident this morning. I asked him if he remembered it, and he said he did and that it happened in slow motion. I'm sure many of us here have experienced that. Why does that happen? It's such a weird thing.

When I recently accidently went down my porch steps in my power chair, I know that it happened super fast because my chair was going at top speed, but I remember it so clearly like it happened in slow motion. From when I knew I was out of control until my front wheels left the top step, it seemed like forever. Then from the time I launched off that top step until I landed, it's completely blank. I can't remember that part of it at all. Fascinating.

[Foolish Old]

Because you give the event your ENTIRE attention. Most of the time our brain's CPU is running so many programs in the background that we are only partially aware of what we experience.

You may have heard athletes talk about being "in the zone" to describe times when they are able to shut out all distractions. The most common thing said is that everything seems to slow down. Think The Matrix.

[thehipcrip]

Once again, FO's answer is anything but foolish. He nailed it exactly -- all of our senses are acutely attuned to the event itself, and everything else is shut down or tuned out.

Is your Dad okay, Shannon?

And for that matter, how is your arm recovering after the iBot Slalom of 2009?

[catlady]

Hahaha... I am clueless. I just realized "Foolish Old" is the opposite of "Wise Young"...

...so that's why a guy who calls himself "Foolish" is so clever,lol

Back on topic. Had to share. Still laughing.

[rybread]

Adrenaline. It does all sorts of crazy things to your brain.

[knightrider]

Its because of fear, your brain pumps out more adrenaline and your senses are heightened like a fight or flight mode, its like your bodies way of helping you get out of a dangerous situation. Shame that didn't help with mine lol. But I did have the slow motion feeling but there wasn't much i could of done.

[woman from Europe]

I get the slow motion feeling when I am tipping backwards. It is nice because then I have time to turn a little, put one arm behind and if I push hard enough when my hand hit the grown, I can push the chair up again and not hitting my head.

It is a good trick, I learn it at rehab.