Speaking of Psychology Time going too fast? How to slow it down, with Ruth Ogden, PhD
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May 28, 2025 
Ruth Ogden, a Professor at Liverpool John Moores University, dives into the curious psychology of time. She shares why time seems to race when we're enjoying ourselves and drags during dull moments. The conversation highlights how aging shifts our time perception and discusses the bewildering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our sense of time. Ruth also critiques daylight saving time's impact on well-being and offers practical strategies to enrich our experiences and reclaim our relationship with time.
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Brain’s Role in Time Distortion
- The insular cortex manages emotion and homeostasis, influencing time perception, especially under threat.
- This brain region’s activation during fear or joy can distort perceived time, e.g., time slowing down in car crashes.
Animals and Time Perception
- Animals can learn to judge time intervals but it's unclear if their subjective experience of time matches humans.
- Biological clocks help animals anticipate routines, like a dog knowing dinner time.
VR Danger Study on Time
- Participants walked a virtual reality ice bridge that crumbled, simulating danger to study time perception under stress.
- Higher arousal measured by heart rate and sweating correlated with greater time distortion during the task.