Blog #248--Aging and the Perception of Time

Most of us know or have observed old people who are struggling to live normal lives as their bodies become more infirm. The older we get, the more physical and mental problems we encounter. A number of these are described in my book “It’s a Secret, So Pass It On: a Toolbox For Life.” Many of these are normal signs of our bodies breaking down in preparation for death.

Many of the behavioral changes we see with old people can be explained by physical changes also. But I’ve recently discovered another factor which I’ve never read or heard about previously. Since I am a life-long learner and enjoy reporting on what I learn, I wish to share this before I lose the capacity to communicate clearly since I am a senior citizen with multiple physical problems.

Before introducing my recent observations on time, I must acknowledge the physical changes that have a deleterious effect on old people. We must accept these debilities as major factors in the mental and behavioral changes we observe in our elderly.

As we age, our eyesight often weakens. If we live long enough, we may become nearly blind. Many older people have hearing difficulties as they age as well. Less publicized is the fact our senses of smell and taste also tend to become less efficient and consistent. Our brains become forgetful, especially with recent events. As a senior citizen, I can remember things that happened years ago but may forget what I was going to say a moment ago.

As our bodies age, they appear to slow down. Reflexes diminish, our walking becomes more unstable and difficult, and exercise becomes more of a burden than an asset. We get shorter due to a loss of fluid between vertebrae, which also makes it more painful for us to get around. We lose more of our hair, and our skin begins to shed more rapidly as it becomes more scale-like and unattractive. Moles, warts and bumps of all kinds and colors dominate the landscape, making our skin look more like the surface of Mars than human skin.

Mental extremes like Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia are sad conclusions for some of our elderly. Talking with an old person can be difficult even for those who are still alert since it seems they sometimes don’t understand what we are saying or have lost the drive to learn new things. It is rare when they experience something never experienced before, so boredom may also be part of this. And some of their offspring and friends desert them to avoid the reality of their demise. This makes them feel extremely depressed, bored and unloved, which also has an adverse effect on their interest in mundane affairs.

Many old people drive their cars slowly. It is assumed the fear of dying, coupled with the reduction of reflexes and sensing abilities, contributes mightily to their driving behavior. But I’ve noticed a change in my perception of time which might give us an entirely surprising reason why some old people appear to slow down.

I’ve observed a running together of words spoken on a television or radio program, especially at the end of sentences. At first, I thought it was just a loss of focus on my part, so I tried to listen more closely. When I did that, I found I had trouble getting my brain to match the speed of the speaker's words so I could understand completely what was being said. One might conclude my brain is slowing down.

However, when we die our actual self, which is spiraling energy, actually speeds up its circular movement until it becomes invisible to those living in a 3-dimensional existence. This allows us to become one with the space-time continuum, which may be what we call “heaven.” Perhaps the reason I am finding words running together is the fact my mind, the energy which reaches beyond the brain, has sped up relative to the person talking, and this is an intermediate stage between what was and the timelessness of the space-time continuum.

Applying this concept to elderly drivers, one might find their minds speed up as well, making everything else around them seem slower by comparison. If so, they might feel it necessary to slow down to match the speed they are perceiving around them. The law of opposites might apply here.

I am speculating on this, so I may be wrong. But at the least, older people make a transition from this world to the next. They lose their attachment to the details of life on Earth and begin to look elsewhere for their futures. I remember observing this in my stepdad. I knew he was near death when he lost his interest in the progress of his favorite sports teams.

So our minds are preparing us for that transition as they speed up toward infinite velocity. We slowed down to make us aware of existing in this world, so now we speed back up. Slowing down helps us attach to various self-interests for awhile, but letting go of all attachments is an essential aspect of moving from this world to the next. It appears I am no longer as capable of slowing down the world around me sufficiently to focus on every detail. Nor am I as interested in doing it as when I was young and eager to learn about this world.

Our world runs on paradox, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if elderly people slowing down is secondary to their minds speeding up. I know I have seen each of my last few years seem to move by faster and faster, so maybe that’s part of the process as well. I believe this strongly: we are always the same person, but our perceptions change moment to moment, making us believe we are changing for both the better and the worse as we age. Maybe aging is merely a change in our perception of time.

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