How to Slow Down the Passing of Time | Jedidiah Jenkins | TEDxOccidentalCollege

Why does time speed up as we get older? And how do we slow it back down? We all remember time crawling by as a kid. Summer break felt like an eternity. As we get older, time is somehow exponentially quicker. How common is it to hear an elderly person say 'it felt like only yesterday that....'or 'it all goes by so fast.' There are scientific reasons for this, and there are ways to slow it down and regain your sense of childlike wonder.

Jedidiah Jenkins splits his time between Nashville, Tennessee and Los Angeles, California and is at work on his first book about his bicycle trip from Oregon to Patagonia. He is Executive Editor of Wilderness Magazine and a contributor to the Paris Review. His parents wrote A Walk Across America and The Walk West about their five year walk across the United States in the 70s. His hope is to continue their legacy as lovers of the earth and all the people in it.

[maryannegaddy]

Its rather sad to see how so many commentors missed the point - I think all he's saying is that you need to pay attention to the moment that you are in, and that you need to always be expanding your comfort zone. It doesn't matter where you began or where you are now, you can always be adding perceived time.

[dennypollard]

I have done some travel around the world with great memories, but the routine was killing me later in life. At 56-years old I retired sold my house and relocated to rural Japan in the mountains with my mountain bike for 6-years. Life was just like I was a kid again discovering new things and adventures each day. Routine is the destroyer of time and I have relocated back to the U.S. I now travel between two countries now with my eyes wide open. I have experience what Jedidiah has and the journey continues as have the childhood of learning new things. My book turned into two technical books.

[sammavitae]

The key then is constant creativity, discovering something new as you pursue your art. Position yourself so that the unexpected happens daily.

[amantiwari]

Whenever we are free, we do something, usually using our smartphones and our brain doesn't get idle even for a single minute. This makes us feel time faster. The more idle the brain, the slower time seems

[shrimatkapoor]

I think he is right, so basically if you keep experiencing something new everyday, time will go much slower. But its difficult to do something like that in today's world

[michaelkraft]

Definitely we should strive to feed our brains and our souls. I marvel at people that keep up a rapid pace acquiring new knowledge, but there is wisdom in going slower and experiencing things more deeply. Applied to mental health, I can see how faster visual processing beats depression, which can be defined as rumination on old mental images or memories.

[OneInAMillionOfficial]

This is the best ted talk I have ever watched in my life. I tend to think they're pretty bland... hoping I'd find something inspiring. But this literally gave me a new way to live. So thank you!

[MichiganPeatMoss]

Half of our troubles lies in the time constructs we live by - 20, 30, 40, etc. Drop the structure and diversify life experiences.

[pathdesignco]

So glad he did a Ted Talk, his documentary was so inspiring. I traveled the country because of it.

[Becky-oltm]

We don't need to think of tomorrow when we're little. Therefore today lasts much longer. We are only thinking of today. When were older we are thinking of what to take care of for the future so the future comes faster. It's where our attention is.

[michaelkraft]

As a person suffering with depression, I definitely feel happier when time goes by faster and with more novelty.

[monikathomas]

Great presentation! I would like to support what you’re saying here by adding that from my neuroscience studies I’ve learned that positive expectation triggers the release of more dopamine and more dopamine results in us experiencing time slower.

[takadacol]

Great talk. I'm from Scotland, but I've lived in Japan for the last 12 years. I definitely feel that the sense of being on an outward journey (even though I don't plan on returning to the UK) has helped me experience the passing of time a little differently. I've also been able to deploy more "identity anchors" as a result of the experiences that I have had - there is always something new around the corner.

[PeterOldwood]

That's why I also love bicycle touring. totally agree

[AndyRoidEU]

Great lecture. Lets "keep turning the page of one´s identity"

[notagain]

Thank you for allowing us to learn skill to change our perception of time

[reynardlin]

You're always discovering your identity when doing new things

[anthonys.]

Great experiences shared leading to a path everybody is invited. Thanks Jedidiah.

[ayusharyan]

How to slow down the passing time?

I took a break from my life in 30 and traveled the world for 16 months which felt forever.
But my friends when i came back saw it as an instant because they were in their routine.

If you are 5 then 1 year will be 20% of your life which feels you lived a lot.
And when you are 30 it will be just 3% of your life and feels very short.
But I felt the 30th year of my life as 6th year.

Time feels to slow down when you are scared. Eg. Any accident you had.
Actually you amygdala is over producing memories and in times of fear you have richer and deeper memories and your brain perceives it to be longer but it's not.
So your brain studies the experience and figure out the way to get out of discomfort.
Eg. Moving to a new city, the 1st week feels forever but then a year just pass.

The opposite of fear is routine and want to save energy and find a way to fit into this world for stability (no fear).
When it creates a safe line for itself then you don't feel the time passing.
So when you get back to your home from a long trip it feels shorter now than you felt forever on the trip which is because of familiarity and same routine.

The ages of 15 to 25 people have richer amd deeper memories so that they can recall to the rest of their life.
This is the time when everything is happening to you is the first.
Youth is only seeking out their identity and it is like a river going somewhere not a pond staying at the same place.
You take small steps everyday to discover yourself or having fear to get out of your comfort zone will make the time slower for you to live more in those moments.
In youth you have optimism and goals to become someone but when you get to it which doesn't feel like you.
Then you stop paying attention to the path, and accept the reality but you should continue to follow the path and go ahead leaving everyone alone.
If you keep experiencing something new everyday and you need to pay attention to the moment you are in then time will go much slower.

[JakobZinkowski]

what he is saying is exactly that I fell and tell the people why i go on a bicycle trip from time to time