Culture
Is Our Aging Brains Secretly Distorting Time and Memory for Us?
“This suggests that longer [and, therefore, fewer] neural states within the same period may contribute to older adults experiencing time as passing more quickly.”
An email arrived in our inbox last week, containing a link to a newly released neuroscientific study and a simple, sincere question: “Does anyone else feel like time moves faster now?” This question led to an investigation of newly published findings that offer a striking physiological explanation for this common experience among older adults.
The study in question, published this month in Live Science explores what happens inside our brains as we age. Using brain scans and psychological analysis, the researchers uncovered a distinct difference: older adults’ brains shift to new activity states less frequently, with each ‘state’ of neural activity lasting longer than those observed in younger counterparts.
Practically, it means that as our brains age, they log fewer ‘events’ per unit of time. The study’s authors connect this to a concept rooted as far back as Aristotle; more notable events stretching time, fewer events contracting it. For older brains, neural processing becomes less specific, a phenomenon called “age-related neural dedifferentiation.” For instance, regions once finely tuned to faces start generalizing, responding similarly to non-face objects.
Physiologically, other experts liken this to watching a flipbook that’s missing frames—the “frames-per-second” we perceive slow down. The result? It feels like the years flicker by with increasing speed, despite clock time remaining unchanged.
The changes go deeper than neurons firing. The emotional context in which time is perceived plays a significant role. Studies confirm that time perception in older adults is shaped by cognitive changes, and also by emotions. Positive feelings tend to lengthen perceived intervals, whereas sad, or anxious moods may compress them, an effect amplified in older age groups. The experience of time becomes more variable, influenced by mood, sensory input, and lived experience.
Notably, some sources caution against quick conclusions. Psychological, emotional, and social factors all intertwine, and no single explanation suffices for everyone. While biological changes are real, our activities, routines, and engagement deeply impact how we log and remember time, as highlighted in community responses to earlier studies.
Many older adults describe youth as “endless” and adulthood as “blink-and-it’s-gone.” The study validates this sensation with hard science, but also opens up further questions. Could greater novelty, new experiences and learning help slow the perceived passage of time? Might community involvement, cultural activities, or even daily mindfulness reshape these neural frames? If so, what role do local organizations, wellness advocates, and educators play in counteracting, or adapting to this phenomenon?
Families, caregivers, and support groups may want to consider how memory, routine, and freshness of experience play into well-being and perception. Does your experience align with these findings? Are there strategies that make days feel fuller, richer, or longer in retrospect?
Has your own sense of time changed as you have aged, or observed elders feeling “rushed” by the years? Share your experiences and perspectives with the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper. Your insights help us build community understanding, shape local wellness initiatives, and bring practical strategies to light for all ages.
The conversation is ongoing. Your voice matters.