How your heartbeat affects the perception of time

A new study published in the journal Psychophysiology suggests that our heartbeat may play a significant role in shaping our perception of time. Previous research has focused on the brain's role in this process, but this study conducted by psychologists at Cornell University found that heartbeat intervals could impact our perception of time at the millisecond level.

Participants were fitted with electrocardiograms to measure the length of each heartbeat, and they were asked to estimate the length of brief audio tones. The results showed that after longer heartbeat intervals, subjects perceived the tone as longer, and shorter intervals led to the perception of shorter tones. After each tone, the subjects' heartbeat intervals lengthened.

The study's lead author, Saeedeh Sadeghi, a doctoral candidate at Cornell, said that a lower heart rate seemed to aid perception. According to Sadeghi, the heart's beats are noise to the cortex, and it's easier to process information when the heart is silent. The study supports the idea that time perception is not controlled by a single part of the brain or body but is part of a network involving both the brain and the heart.

Interest in time perception has grown since the Covid pandemic, as many people experienced changes in their daily routines and faced long stretches of unstructured time. Another study conducted during the first year of lockdown in Britain found that 80% of participants reported distortions in time perception, with older, more isolated people reporting that time slowed down and younger, more active people reporting that it sped up.

Understanding the mechanisms behind the perception of time, especially at the millisecond level, may help in managing trauma, where instantaneous experiences are often remembered as being drawn out. As research into time perception continues to evolve, it highlights the importance of considering cognitive functions as interconnected with the control of the body.