Time perception accelerates with age because the brain creates increasingly compressed representations of routine events, according to neuroscientist David Eagleman. While 19th-century philosopher Paul Janet proposed that time feels faster because each year represents a smaller fraction of one’s life, modern research suggests that the density of our memories—driven by novelty and focused attention—is the primary factor in how we experience the passage of years.
Why does time seem to speed up as we get older?
The sensation of time accelerating is linked to how the brain encodes information. According to David Eagleman, when we are young, the world is filled with novel experiences that create rich, dense memories. As we age, we develop “compressed representations of events,” which makes our internal record of time feel thinner. When days repeat in a routine, the brain stops filing them as distinct, individual experiences, causing years to blur together in retrospect.
The “proportional theory” of time, first suggested by Paul Janet in the 19th century, posits that a year feels shorter to a 40-year-old than a 10-year-old because it constitutes a smaller percentage of their total life experience. However, this mathematical model fails to account for the emotional “texture” of specific years.
How can novelty and attention slow down the subjective clock?
Subjective time passage is less about the movement of a clock and more about the quality of our attention, according to the principles of memory formation. Novelty forces the brain to move into a new mode because it cannot predict what is coming next, which in turn creates denser, more memorable experiences.
Even when novelty is unavailable, depth of attention serves as a secondary lever. Focusing sustained attention on a single task—rather than toggling between digital notifications and fragmented thoughts—forces the brain to observe material it would otherwise overlook. This process gives hours “shape” and prevents them from disappearing into a blur of routine activity.
Pro Tips for Retaining Time
- Change your environment: Introduce new routes, work tasks, or locations to trigger the brain’s novelty-seeking mode.
- Practice deep work: Dedicate long stretches of time to a single project to create “edges” in your memory of the day.
- Limit task-switching: Minimize constant shifts between tabs and notifications, which contribute to the thinning of memory records.
The future of memory and digital distraction
Future trends in cognitive health suggest that as digital environments become more cluttered, the ability to maintain “dense memories” will become a premium skill. Because the brain smooths over repetitive, distracted input, the years spent in a state of constant digital partial attention are effectively “lost” to our personal history. The most effective way to combat the feeling of lost time is to consciously shift from passive input to active, sustained engagement with one’s surroundings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does aging physically change how we perceive time?
According to David Eagleman, the change is not necessarily in the brain’s internal clock but in how it processes and stores memories of events. Routine leads to thinner memory records.
Is Paul Janet’s proportional theory still considered accurate?
Janet’s theory remains a useful abstract model for understanding why time feels faster as a percentage of life lived, but it is incomplete because it does not account for the impact of novelty and focus on memory density.
Can I “stretch” a year?
Yes, by intentionally seeking new experiences or applying deeper focus to daily tasks, you can increase the density of your memories, which makes the year feel longer in retrospect.
How do you make your years feel more substantial? Share your thoughts in the comments below or subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more insights on optimizing your cognitive life.
