Our sense of time is influenced by our heart rate, according to research

For many years, people have speculated about how the heart affects our perception of time, but there hasn't been much concrete evidence to support this theory. However, a group of scientists from Cornell University has now conducted an experiment that provides proof that the heart is one of the key timekeepers in the brain, and it plays a significant role in how we perceive the passing of time. The researchers discovered that our perception of time is not consistent, but instead expands or contract with each beat of the heart.

The researchers conducted an experiment to explore how our perception of time is influenced by physiological rhythms, such as the natural variations in heart rate. They started with the premise that while our hearts generally beat at a consistent pace, the time between each beat can vary slightly. To investigate this, they recruited 45 participants between the ages of 18 and 21 who had no history of heart disease and used electrocardiography (ECG) to monitor their heart activity at a resolution of milliseconds. By linking the ECG data to a computer, the researchers triggered sounds lasting between 80 and 180 milliseconds in response to the participants' heartbeats. The participants were then asked to indicate whether some sounds were longer or shorter in duration compared to others.

The study found that participants' perception of sound duration varied depending on the duration of the preceding heartbeat - if the preceding heartbeat was shorter, the sound was perceived as longer, and if the preceding heartbeat was longer, the sound was perceived as shorter. Additionally, the experiment revealed that the brain can influence heart activity, as participants' attention to the sounds resulted in changes in heart rate, which subsequently impacted their perception of time.

Our brain relies on the heartbeat rhythm to create our perception of time passing. This association between the heart and time perception implies that our immediate understanding of time is connected to the body's energy processes, like the heart rate, which assists the brain in allocating resources effectively based on changes in body states. This study shows that even small changes in the heart's rhythm within a few heartbeats are linked to our decision-making process regarding time.