The Concept of Time: Do We Experience It Differently?

Post Reply New Topic

Subjects touched upon in this post:
*Temporal Processing*
Research (e.g., Allman et al., 2011; Falter & Noreika, 2011) suggests that autistic individuals may process the
passage of time differently, sometimes over- or underestimating durations compared to neurotypical peers.

*Time-Based Memory*
Studies (Lind et al., 2014) have found that some autistic people have challenges with “episodic memory”
(recalling when events happened), while others have unusually vivid, detailed memories but may struggle to
place them in sequence.

*Executive Function and Planning*
Difficulties with “time management” and “prospective memory” (remembering to do things in the future) are
common, potentially linked to differences in how time is internally represented.

*The Flow State*
Some autistic people report getting so absorbed in interests or activities that they lose all sense of time—a
phenomenon sometimes called “hyperfocus” or “flow,” which is also being studied in relation to autism.


***The meat and potatoes of the post***

All,

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I experience time, and I’m curious if others here relate.

Sometimes, it feels like my sense of time is out of sync with the world around me—moments can stretch or shrink,
and I often struggled with things like waiting, transitions, or even remembering when something happened.
Most of those 'struggles' have found stopgaps and work-arrounds in my daily life, but talking with my children yesterday brought some of these topics back to the frontstage of my mind.

I know and am convinced as well that perception of time is not only a "flexible" subject for us ND folk, but for NT peers as well. I'm just trying to, with your input, find out more on how minds like mine navigate or 'perceive' this

I came across some research suggesting that autistic people might actually experience or process time differently from neurotypicals. For example:

*Some studies have found that autistic people may have a less accurate sense of how much time has passed
(“temporal estimation”), which could help explain why waiting can feel so intense or why we might lose track of
time when absorbed in a special interest.
*There’s also evidence that time-based memory (“episodic memory”) can work differently, with some autistic
peers recalling events in vivid detail and others finding it hard to place memories in chronological order.
*A few researchers have even suggested that our brains might process the flow of time itself differently, which
could affect everything from planning ahead to feeling “stuck” in the present.

I’m really interested to hear from others:

*Do you feel like you experience time differently from people around you?
*Are there situations where your sense of time feels especially strong or especially weak?
*How does this affect your daily life—things like routines, waiting, deadlines, or remembering the past?
*Have you found any strategies that help you manage your sense of time, or is it something you’ve learned to
accept?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, stories, or even theories about how time works for you

--References--

Allman, M. J., DeLeon, I. G., & Wearden, J. H. (2011). Psychophysical assessment of timing in individuals with autism. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 116(2), 165–178.

Lind, S. E., Williams, D. M., Bowler, D. M., & Peel, A. (2014). Episodic memory and episodic future thinking impairments in high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: An underlying difficulty with scene construction or self-projection? Neuropsychology, 28(1), 55–67.

Falter, C. M., & Noreika, V. (2011). Interval timing deficits and abnormal cognitive development. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 5, 26.

I learned to easily drop in and out of hyperfocus. I can be useful for playing golf where you want to be able to socialize with partners as well as focus on hitting a golf ball.

My sense of time tends to be event oriented. It is best to think of terms of completing a task or part of a task rather than a unit of time.

Interesting topic. I’ve honestly never thought about it, but then I only just realized I’m ND. I can say that I have a near-perfect recall of various life events, to the extent that my brother remarked on it, asking how I remember so much about childhood. I remember enough that I wrote a musical about my life (primarily about being transgender). I remember that as a child, days seemed to go on forever, but I think that’s pretty common, even among NTs. I’ve been very reliant on routines throughout my life, and until recently, I thought most people were. I could get very upset if something unexpected happened to take me out of my routine. I’m a musician, so I know I have a good grasp of time at the level of beats and measures. I have experienced a loss of time sense when engrossed in a hobby or favourite endeavour. Speaking of hobbies, I’ve had many, usually very unusual and detail-oriented, the pinnacle of which was making a violin from scratch.

Colleen