How we experience the passage of time: the body, feelings, and the self

Abstract

Through my contribution in this symposium on subjective time, I wish to bring attention to the body. The physiological processes of the body are a necessary prerequisite for understanding how we, as humans, perceive time on the scale of seconds to minutes. My talk will proceed as follows: (1) First I will introduce the standard cognitive model of time perception and I will speak about some empirical research that tested that model. (2) Then I will try to explain why, when it comes to investigating the perception of time, so many research models exist. To put it humorously, I like to say that when we gather five researchers who work on the topic of time, such as here at the Bial symposium, we may very well end up listening to the presentation of six different models. (3) Then I will discuss my line of research on embodied time, i.e. arguing how the corporal processes govern our sense of time. I will present current and historical evidence that shows how body signals inform us about the passage of time. (4) Finally, I will talk about altered states of consciousness such as those induced through meditation, flotation-REST, and psychedelics. In such specific cases, the bodily self and subjective time are modulated in unison, in peak states of consciousness potentially culminating in timelessness and (body) selflessness. Research on altered states of consciousness can help us understand the nature of consciousness and, in particular, of time consciousness.