# Why do we feel the passing of time?

Why do we feel the passing of time? Why do we feel the time is changing with increasing speed $d\tau=\gamma^{-1}dt$? In other word why Lorentz factor (or scientifically relativistic velocity function $\gamma_v$,) affect over our feel of time?

• One thing to point out: we don't feel time pass at different rates with increasing speed (you are always stationary with respect to yourself). What we can do is watch clocks that are moving with respect to us and notice that faster moving clocks tick slower. – David H Jun 15 '13 at 11:18
• Lorentz factor does not affect you "feeling of time" (proper time) but expresses a difference in mesurements of time intervals by moving vs. stationary clock – Slaviks Jun 15 '13 at 11:20
• Clocks measure proper time along the motion of the observer. and you compare clocks of moving and stationary observers and observer dilation. – Prathyush Jun 15 '13 at 12:12
• here's an interesting article related to that question! fqxi.org/data/essay-contest-files/Nikolic_FQXi_time.pdf – Stack Exchange is Cancer Jun 15 '13 at 18:45
• – Qmechanic Sep 13 '13 at 21:36

Indeed this is not correct. Our neural system will be also with its bio-clocks subject to slowing of time. So if we are in the system we do not feel. However once we step out of the system we see the difference of aging relative to the system of reference. So if you take near light speed away from home you would never know that your time is slower.

Honestly I usually see here parallels to Schrödinger's cat but I would not have the courage to challenge Einstein in a debate of physics but biology.

Hope that helps.

Why do we feel the passing of time?

Think of a three dimensional map of the earth. A sphere with all the details of the surface.

If there were no changes, i.e. dr/d(phi)=0 dr/d)theta =0 then we would see a bald round ball with no distinguishing feature from one (r, theta,phi) coordinate point to another. It is the differential changes that make the map.

In a similar way, if dx/dt, dy/dt, dx/dt ( Cartesian coordinates for clarity) were all equal to zero we would not be able to define time. As in the sphere example, we see the map changes by moving along theta or phi, in our three dimensional world we see changes by moving along time. It is the observed changes that define time. We use clocks, the great celestial clock of night and day and turn of year, they are the changes we observe in our coordinate system that define our time sense. If everything were static there would be no time defined or felt.

why do we feel the time is changing with increasing speed dτ=γ−1dt,? in other word why lorentz factor (or scientifically relativistic velocity function γv,) affect over our feel of time?

The Lorentz factor and the imaginary axis of time are the result of observational studies much wider than how time is defined in the everyday world, in the domain of special relativity. One cannot feel the lorentz transformations. Experiments showed us that time is not independent of the rest of the quantities we define to describe theoretically experimental observations: the behavior of energy, mass, etc.; in the particle microcosm where quantum mechanics reigns energy and time are related also with the heisenberg uncertainty principle. These are not subjects easy to hand waving explanations but need serious study.

• Lorentz $\neq$ Lorenz. In particular, Lorentz is the name you want here. We know Lorenz primarily for his gauge condition. – Mike Jul 15 '13 at 16:20