The experience of awe can slow down perceived time in people’s lives

The Washington Times:

As anyone trying to juggle a career, family and sleep will tell you: The one universal truth of modern life is that there are not enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done. If only we could stop time in its tracks or, at least, slow it down — wouldn’t that be nice?

Maybe we can. Though scientists have yet to discover a way to add more hours to the day — if only — a new study by psychologists at Stanford University and the University of Minnesota brings us one step closer to that elusive goal. If you want to slow time down, then add a splash of awe to your otherwise hyperactive life.

In the study, published in Psychological Science, a leading psychology journal, researchers Melanie Rudd, Kathleen D. Vohs, and Jennifer Aaker found that people who experience awe, by watching a 60-second commercial featuring stunning scenes from nature, feel time passing more slowly than those who experience another more generic positive emotion, happiness.

Read the whole story: The Washington Times