Perception of time

[NuMRX 0]

60 seconds, that's not too long even 120 seconds that's not tool long.

How long does it actually seem when you are freefalling?

[Trev_S 0]

There was a study done on time perception recently that I was reading the other day. I'm not qualified to explain it but the short story was time perception is related to working memory or temporal memory or something, i dunno. Basically when you recall a stressful event the memory created actually gives the illusion of time being longer than it actually was. Time doesn't seem slower in the moment, only when you recall the event/experience does it seem longer.

Anyway, my first few jumps seemed like a couple of minutes but now it feels too fking short! and im still a noob...

[majormajors 0]

This Radiolab segment covers exactly what I think you're talking about, Trev_S. It's all about why time seems to slow down in certain situations.

http://www.radiolab.org/2010/sep/20/letting-go/

Basically, under normal circumstances your brain discards a lot of unimportant details, but during freefall something causes your brain to commit a lot more detail to memory. This creates the perception that time was moving a lot more slowly than it actually was upon recalling the event.

[dthames 0]

It is always over way too soon.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[pincheck 0]

The More time you spend in the air in freefall, the longer your time Perception becomes it just tends to expand. Perhaps due a reduction in the anxiety and tension you feel as a new jumper ?.

Billy-Sonic Haggis Flickr-Fun

[Zlew 0]

majormajors

Basically, under normal circumstances your brain discards a lot of unimportant details, but during freefall something causes your brain to commit a lot more detail to memory. This creates the perception that time was moving a lot more slowly than it actually was upon recalling the event.

I can't speak to new/first time jumpers, but for me time is much slower in freefall. I shoot a lot of video, and it amazes me sometimes when I compare the video to what I experience in freefall. Often I find myself in freefall thinking, oh man, we just lost 7-10 seconds on that because someone went low, slid out etc. But then I watch the video and the entire event took 2-3 seconds. I've had openings that took SO LONG that I couldn't wait to show someone the video... and the video seems just as long as any other video (even though it seemed like it took 10 seconds). It is very common for it to seem like it takes twice as long for someone to get in, key a point, rebuild a funnel, or close a piece as it actually does. I know to expect it, but it still surprises me how different my perception of how long something took, and how quickly it actually happened.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

I was hoping for that whole time-slowing-down thing on my first jump but it was over in a flash. I think trying to remember the level 1 dive flow while terrified (I didn't feel as afraid as I looked in the video heh heh) may have kept that from happening. So instead it didn't feel like I had enough time to get through it wall. 40 seconds was way too short (AFF guys pull high and I fall fast.) I passed it though!

My first solo, where I wasn't trying to cram a bunch of objectives into that time felt longer. I remember thinking that getting stable after my exit took a "lot" of time, checking my altimeter and finding myself at about 11000 feet. So that long time was only 10 seconds.

Now it kind of varies, but it usually feels like longer than it actually is. If I have objectives, it makes time feel more pressed. If I'm just off tracking, I can track out of the plane for what feels like a good long time and still be at 10000 to 11000 feet.

Oddly 2 minutes in the wind tunnel never feels like that long, even though it's (more than in my case) twice what freefall is. I think that's because I always have objectives in the tunnel. One of these times I'm just going to go in there and fly around and enjoy myself.

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[fastphil 0]

When I'm at work time seems to really slow down. I wonder if professional skydivers enjoy that same "at work" factor...

[popsjumper 2]

Get somebody to explain Time Distortion and how adrenaline affects the brain.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[erdnarob 1]

The awareness of elapsing time is very subjective and depends on what we are doing and on the degree of relaxation. If we are tense, concentrated, busy...like doing some task in freefall, alone or in group, time runs fast. OTOH when we are relaxed, waiting, in freefall alone with very few things to do...time seems to run slower.

A particular case which deserves our highest attention is in the case of a malfunction, total or partial. We are then on high concentration mood and time runs very fast and altitude decrease as well. That's why we give the parachute system TWO chances, NOT THREE in trying ourselves to solve the problem.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[popsjumper 2]

Quote

That's why we give the parachute system TWO chances, NOT THREE in trying ourselves to solve the problem.

It's why we monitor ALTITUDE instead of time when executing EPs. That second try you're advocating may have just put you too late to save your butt.

On the other hand ALTITUDE may allow you 4, 5, or 6 chances.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[vanessalh 0]

Depends how well the jump is going :)
If we crank through 20 points and my audible hasn't gone off I'll start to feel like we're in the air for loooong time. Usually at this point I'll check to find that we're still at 6,000ft.

If the jump is falling apart it takes about 60s...

[Jessie1984 0]

On my first jump all I remember was my impression of "Tumble-Ina" on exit, "rolling out of bed", doing 3 PRCPs and then looking at my altimeter for about the 20th time and actually realizing what it showed and thinking "oh shit" I need to pull now or I will be going to a safety board soon. good times

[devildog 0]

popsjumper

Quote

That's why we give the parachute system TWO chances, NOT THREE in trying ourselves to solve the problem.

It's why we monitor ALTITUDE instead of time when executing EPs. That second try you're advocating may have just put you too late to save your butt.

On the other hand ALTITUDE may allow you 4, 5, or 6 chances.

I'm surprised that something like this wasn't your first post :)

You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

[format 0]

Quote

60 seconds, that's not too long

"Ready, Set, GO!" - that's not too long.
Now, whether there's 5 or 55 sec freefall after - for me it's like a somewhat interesting movie and it takes time to bring it all back for cold minded analysis. Much easier to fly again and do some comparative analysis. You know, more data there is, sharper the results are. It's all about getting data, I think.
Wider the bandwidth - longer the time seems.

p.s. I read somewhere that human brain is processing 72 Gb per second?

What goes around, comes later.

[popsjumper 2]

devildog

***

Quote

That's why we give the parachute system TWO chances, NOT THREE in trying ourselves to solve the problem.

It's why we monitor ALTITUDE instead of time when executing EPs. That second try you're advocating may have just put you too late to save your butt.

On the other hand ALTITUDE may allow you 4, 5, or 6 chances.

I'm surprised that something like this wasn't your first post :)

I'm getting old and experiencing senior moments.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[devildog 0]

format

Quote

60 seconds, that's not too long

"Ready, Set, GO!" - that's not too long.
Now, whether there's 5 or 55 sec freefall after - for me it's like a somewhat interesting movie and it takes time to bring it all back for cold minded analysis. Much easier to fly again and do some comparative analysis. You know, more data there is, sharper the results are. It's all about getting data, I think.
Wider the bandwidth - longer the time seems.

p.s. I read somewhere that human brain is processing 72 Gb per second?

On a tangent, "they" don't know what the hell the brain can do. I remember years ago when the brain was supposed to be equal to a bunch 486s networked together with one really big hard drive for storage. And then they were like, "Oh, its about the same as a room full of pentium 2s" And so on. And so forth.

You stop breathing for a few minutes and everyone jumps to conclusions.

[popsjumper 2]

Quote

p.s. I read somewhere that human brain is processing 72 Gb per second?

Well, the problem for men is that 71.99 Gb of that is dedicated to boobies.



Wait....that's not really a problem.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239