The brain’s perception of time is abstract. Here’s what happens when it gets seriously distorted
I slumped in a wheelchair in my doctor’s office. The clock above the door ticked erratically, as if someone outside the room was winding the gears forward and then turning them back every few seconds. The words Dr. W spoke seemed to fall from her mouth, then slowly float across the room one by one. To my ears, her speech was devoid of any cadence. Unable to hear the pauses that indicated the ends of her sentences, I kept interrupting her.
A month before this doctor’s appointment, lupus, the chronic autoimmune disease I had lived with for the past four years, had spiraled out of control. In rare cases like mine, lupus can cause severe brain inflammation called lupus cerebritis. I’d first realized I was seriously ill when I stood up after teaching a violin lesson and forgot how to walk. My legs didn’t hurt — they simply refused to lift from the floor.
“Most recent brain research has found that the brain is a lot less localized than we previously thought. That is, a specific piece of information (i.e., your grandmother’s face) does not reside in a precise location in the brain, but may involve tens of thousands of different small processing sites throughout the brainstem and cortex,” says Dr. Brown.
This is one of those things that’s just a common misconception.
Like, there are specific areas of the brain that almost always do the same thing. But human variation is a big deal, especially with the brain.
Science has known conclusively for like 50 years that any area of the brain can do any task. If your born without “the language center” another part of your brain will likely get co opted to process language.
Even if the corpus callosum is separated as a teen, the other hemisphere will likely develop it’s own language center.
Late 20s or older and you’re likely stuck with half your brain not being able to vocally communicate.
But most people never learn about stuff that in depth, but think what was covered in highschool science was all the science there is. It’s not, you’re just getting the generic “most of the time” answers.
You’re* born
Its* own
I’ll catch myself wondering if I had the oil in my car changed three months ago or a year ago.
Either this person has recovered fully, or I’m not doing well.
Once when I worked in retail, one of the people I worked with was helping this older lady.
She told him that she had a stroke and could not sense time. She asked him to let her know when it’s a specific time in case she stays in the store for too long.
I didn’t meet her, but it’s really interesting.
Glad to read they made a recovery. Then I thought, if they hadn’t how would they have been able to write this story?
Very slowly, probably.
Or fast to them
That was fascinating to read!
I wonder if it’s anything like being high? That really plays with your ability to perceive time, too.
Terrifying, thank you
