While driving in bad weather, I slid on some ice while driving at speed on the interstate. Spinning around, first one direction, and then the other, I noticed that time seemed to slow to a crawl. Everything was rendered in hyper detail and decisions were made in split seconds that helped me save myself and my vehicle. Many have had similar experiences. Life or death situations seem to have this as a common element.

Question: Could this sense of slowed time be the result of temporarily having your personal delta-t increment decreased thereby processing more delta-ts per pmr time increment? This would make sense in this circumstance. Maybe we have the ability, by focusing our consciousness, of experiencing a smaller delta-t increment. This would be an excellent innate survival mechanism. Maybe the amped up adrenaline, heart rate, etc are just pmr artifacts of this process. Anyone have any comments on this very rough theory?

Ramon

Ramon,

Notice that when these "slowdowns" happen, you are in an altered state of consciousness that contains only a few elements of your PMR reality frame -- you, the car (often only its dynamics and its controls), and just the tiny slice of the PMR environment that is significant to your ability (your options) to control the situation at any given instant. All the rest of your reality disappears completely. You are truly "in the moment".

Somewhere in these forums you will find Mojidoji and I discussing time slowing down when he is able to exist "in the moment".

It is a matter of focusing awareness. The effect is indeed as if the frequency your data processor speeds up. You gain awareness of much more detailed data (a much finer resolution) describing a drastically limited reality. All this data detail is always available to you but you don't notice it because you normally live in a larger low-resolution physical reality of limited awareness. In general, resolution is a matter of both awareness and focus. Awareness requires understanding, experience, and knowledge (opening to, and absorbing, a bigger picture). A spatial equivalent: When you look at the forest you become unaware of the fine granular detail of the soil under your feet. And when you look at the granularity of the soil beneath your feet, the forest disappears from your awareness. Disappearing from view and from awareness can be two different things.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, when your consciousness is merged with All That Is, the physical details of PMR are not relevant, thus PMR disappears, and time appears to stand still as your point consciousness experiences the larger reality -- you may then focus on any detail and appreciate its fine structure and its connectedness to the whole. This is what some call the state of no time. Time still exists but not within your awareness because your linear sequential analytical processing has stopped -- you just are. The monkeys fall silent.

Reality is not constrained to the serial linear processes of a virtual PMR causality -- we only believe that it is. That is why we interpret such experiences as an increase in our processing speed instead of shifts in the awareness and focus of consciousness (a personal modification of the local reality to meet the needs of the moment).

Tom C

Tom,

Thanks for the reply. This explanation helps greatly in my understanding of the issue. During the driving situation I described above I was definitely "in the moment." Everything but the present moment was erased from my awareness. I was even able to steer the vehicle backwards at around 60 mph to avoid a sign that was alongside the interstate and come safely to rest.
I don't have the book with me so these numbers aren't right but I came up with the idea from something you said in MBT. That for every million or so delta-Ts of the PMR time clock, we only process maybe 100 because that is all it takes for us to function in PMR. In life-or-death situations it seems that we are revved up to processing about 1000 increments per delta-T.
Non life-or-death situations where this also could be observed is with highly trained athletes. I have heard of baseball players that see the stitching on the ball as the pitch comes in. This fits in nicely with your explanation that it is a matter of focusing awareness.

Thanks,
Ramon

Ramon,

I've also experienced that drawn-out awareness while my car was spinning on an icy road.

Did you by any chance read the article in The New Yorker a few years ago about a conductor who either had a stroke or some type of massive brain trauma and had such severely impaired memory he felt like he was waking up, conscious, alive for the first time coming out of a fog - every few moments. His diary is heartbreaking, since it reads something like "NOW I am truly awake. This time I am REALLY here." etc... Anyway the only time he can truly function with any normalcy is when he's playing or conducting music because his brain is then totally in the moment - neither accessing memories or postulating future happenings. I wish I knew the name of the man or the name of the author of the article because it was really fascinating stuff. Maybe somebody else will have a better idea what I'm talking about.

_________________
"The trouble with computers of course, is that they're very sophisticated idiots." Tom Baker

No, I haven't seen that article but it sounds interesting. I tried to Google it but didn't come up with anything. If anyone knows where to find it, I would like to see it too. It sounds like a similar situation that those suffering from Alzheimer's disease must face. Punctuated moments of lucidity amongst the fog of forgetfulness. It must create a great fear of loss of self as discussed elsewhere on this forum. It's nice to see that he was still able to share his musical gift.

Ramon

Yeah I've sort of been on the lookout for that article again ever since I read it. I think I recycled it :( I seem to remember his wife or carer talking about how distressing it is when he has very upsetting moments of realization that he'll soon trapped in the fog again. Totally heartbreaking!

_________________
"The trouble with computers of course, is that they're very sophisticated idiots." Tom Baker

Ramon,

That's a amazing experience with, hopefully, a great end. Generally in this situation, 2 things happen:

1- we become in the moment, seeing reality in slow motion and do miraculous actions... Like you experienced, and what Tom described
2- The mental take control, and fears freeze our actions

I practiced traditional Chinese martial arts years ago, and this is the state every warrior want to be able to enter. Like in the Matrix movie.

It remembers me a story a friend told me. He wanted to teach me that when our fears don't freeze our actions in urgent situations, consciousness can do 'miracles'. This is the story of a mother, who was at the beach with her young son. Out of nowhere, a shark appeared. It was going to take a bite on the young child. The mother, instead of going crazy, went toward and punched the shark on the nose. The shark died instantly. A millimeter away, it would have done nothing to the shark, but she hit it just on the right spot.

I'm sure there is tonnes of those stories :)

Yeah, there seem to be tons of stories where people are able to do extra-ordinary things in life and death situations. I believe that it has to do with the focusing of awareness as Tom mentions. Not only for the seeming slow down of time, but for increased strength, stamina etc. I know the adrenaline is also pumping but I think the intense focus makes our INTENT that much stronger. As Tom has said, intent moves consciousness. He also said in the books to forget our ego dreams of becoming Superman but sometimes we can do super things.

Ramon

Ramon have you ever noticed how alive you feel in that timeless moment of total focus. I spent hours last week in that place driving in the midwest ice storms. I think this is why thrillseekers get addicted to dangerous things. Time slows down and you are totally engaged. We lesser mortals don't seek it out, but its good to know it is there when you need it. Glad you didn't get hurt. I hit two fallen trees and a powerline on the ice in Kentucky last week and man does it make your mind shift gears.

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always, John

REALLY interesting. This is something I have wondered about since I was a kid.

My last deployment to Iraq, I was wounded after a suicide car-bomb detonated about 15 feet in front of me. The thing that really sticks out about the whole thing, is I saw the driver coming at me, then time just kinda...slowed down. I didn't get the impression of fear, more like I accepted that I was already dead and "rolled" with the punches, though I'm gonna admit I was pretty scared right before it blew. After it blew my mind turned off and it was like auto-pilot had set in.

After time sped up and things went back to normal, I had VERY minor wounds. The thing that blows my mind, is my machine gun barrell was split in half right where my face was, yet I'm alive. I do remember seeing shrapnal literally coming towards me and flying around me in literal slow-motion.

This kind of stuff really blows my mind.

Toby I'd say your guides deflected the shrapnel in the same way my guides deflected me in a fall I made that could've ended with my skull cracked, twice. Have you ever seen the movie, The Jacket? Love your guides, by the way, and thank you.
Love to you and yours
Bette

_________________
All That Is
what is?
Consciousness.

TobyH,

I remember reading a book by (about?) the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, years ago. I remember his description of reaching a state in WW2 when he could see the path of bullets not yet fired and weave a path between them that was safe. Eventually he was able to enter this state at will and one of his demonstrations was to have someone attempt to shoot him, starting at some significant distance away such as 75 feet. He would then advance, weaving between the, to him visible, paths of the bullets and take the pistol out of the hand of the shooter. It seemed like a good story, but it also seemed possible to me. This was the martial art that I would have liked to study, but never had the opportunity.

I have seen this time slow down as well. Glad that it went well for you. I seemed to see the actions of my guides in my own results.

Ted

Ted,
I read that book about Morihei Ueshiba also. It's a very interesting read. The part about the bullets' paths appearing to him so he could avoid them always stuck with me too.
There was another story, I think it was in the same book, about Ueshiba talking with an astronaut about the moon and was speaking as if he had already seen it himself. Via OBE no doubt.

Ramon

Curiositycat & Ramon asked above about the musician who lost his memory.
I think you must be referring to Clive Wearing: a book about him is linked below.

http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Today-Story-Memory-Never-Ending/dp/0552771694

I saw a BBC TV program on him a few years ago and it was really scary. At the time, I told myself that the brain as a transducer can be damaged. But cases like this, together with Alzheimer cases like Iris Murdoch (the author), with the suffering entailed, have made me question the loving nature of the Oversoul.

Way to research it Ross, that is nice. ;) Way to be!
Love
Bette

_________________
All That Is
what is?
Consciousness.