Slightly off-topic, but relevant.

I agree completely, based on my experience as a rally driver. I'm going
sideways, inches past treess in the middle of the night, yet the focus makes
everything seem calm and slow. I remember in detail a barrel roll after
touching a tyre/tire barrier; it seemed to take 20 seconds, and I remember
carefully downchanging to 2nd gear whilst inverted, in the hope that the car
would stay on its wheels after that particular rotation.

How we perceive time is completely subjective - the human brain interprets
all information, including time clues. When things are rushing by, we
compensate by being able to perceive time slower, thus giving us virtual
reaction time.


Tim

wrote in message
oups.com...

OtisWinslow wrote:
It's very real. I used to tell people about experiencing this
when I raced karts years ago. You're 6 inches away from other
racers at a high speed and everything around you outside the
immediate vicinity of the group of karts was just a blur. Yet
what was unfolding in front of and to the sides of you would
seem like a slow motion ballet. Like your brain speeds up it's
processing of info to the point it has to wait for things to happen.




It's not much different than what happens when I have a redeye.