Does time slow down?

[mpeltier]

Its prety much accepted that time is constant and it is our percetion of time that changes. For some it seems that stressful situations speed up time and others it slows it down. But what slows my perception of time the most for me is when I am absolutely relaxed and seemingly stress free, Especially in situations that most would consider stressful. Not just in shooting but day to day life as well. I became most aware of this 3 years ago while my family and I were having dinner in a restaraunt. My daughter (7 at the time) started to choke and within a few moments started turning blue. Without prior thought of what was going on I just simply got up checked her over and did what was neccessary to clear her throat. It seemed like a long time had passed when i was done and she took a deep breath, but it was only a few seconds. I remember vividly (like it was yesterday) my wife getting histerical, people beside us saying what can we do?, the manager rushing up etc. I was as calm as a cucumber, until it was all over and an adrenilin rush hit me and i shook like I was cold. It is an elusive charecteristic to say the least. I have had many experiances like this shooting stages where at the end of a stage I felt was slow a time posted much faster than expected and the shakes would follow. It is an awsome feeling, I wish i could "Turn-on" at will every time I shoot a stage. The realization that day was that I was not thinking, my mind was clear and focused on what I had to do, and I did it. The trick for me is finding a way to clear my contious thought to let the subcontious take over.

[Ray R.]

The trick for me is finding a way to clear my contious thought to let the subcontious take over.

mpeltier,

The way you describe your daughter choking, its a good thing your subconscience didn't take over! Everybody else's did, and they couldn't act. You however, were aware of everything happening at the time, and as a result were able to diagnose, act, and solve the problem. Your conscience mind did exactly what it was supposed to do-- think, but think fast.

It seems the subconscience mind may be incapable of making judgements.

[John K]

I have experienced this. As a side note I have spent some time as an RO watching many shooters compete. All skills levels.

I have seen the very quick, very accomplished run a string with blurring speed and precise jerky movements. almost manic. I have also seen the guy who just shoots so smooth. His shooting just flows. No urgency, just the task at hand. Often when this kind of shooters completes a run, I am surprised by my perception of what I'd expect from the timer and the actual time recorded. The time recorded is always shorter, and very competitive.

[Model19]

Great discussion! I used to be involved in amateur motorcycle roadracing, and that is where I first experienced the slowing of time, so to speak. I know that in that case it was the mind learning to filter out what you train it to see as unimportant stimulus. I have experienced that to a very small extent in shooting, which was really cool for lack of a better word. In racing, at first the visual inputs of speed, like how fast corners are rushing at you or how rapidly you are overtaking a bike in front of you, along with the noise and g-forces are overwhelming and you are just thinking about those stimulus and coping with them to navigate the track. After enough practice and a few races your brain is no longer overwhelmed by the speed and rapidity of sensory inputs and you just get in a zone where it all flows and you cope with other riders as almost being stationary objects as you come up behind and pass them, and you also just think of following a flowing line around the course, hitting your brake markers, turn in points, apexes, and when to roll on the throttle. It all slows down in your head to a manageable speed and you can deal with variations as they happen without panic or being overwhelmed. That is when your lap times start to seriously drop. Match shooting can give the same feeling.

I can also remember very well being in a bike crash on the street once and seeing the screwdriver from my tool bag under the seat go arcing over me in slow motion as I spun on my side after being slammed to the ground still astride the bike. I could see the blue sky and a few clouds and that screwdriver, all in slow motion, but what was no doubt in a split second real time.

Perception of time is a funny thing.

[Mo Hepworth]

I shot a hoser type stage the other day at a match. I had a trigger freeze at the end and the stage felt like it took forever. I saw a lot more than I usually saw during a typical stage,...and got lots of A's,...i saw almost every shot. Although it felt like it took forever (ie: time slowed in my perception),..I actually had the fastest time and only got 3 or 4 C's of a 16rd stage...even my mag change felt like the mag was sticking or not dropping out fast enough. I have been told it is usually those stages that you make your best runs.

[benos]

I know that in that case it was the mind learning to filter out what you train it to see as unimportant stimulus.

That's a good one. That shooters can work with endlessly.

Perception of time is a funny thing.

Indeed. Especially when time stops. Perception is time.

be