Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2025
The judgment of time passage is reconsidered from the point of view that time passage, while not sensory, does generate a feeling. A classic experiment in duration discrimination provides a springboard for the discussion by showing that, yes, time is felt, but only for durations of a couple of seconds. Beyond a couple of seconds, the judgment or reckoning of time passage requires episodic memory; specifically, counting. The argument is made that grouping in time and the feeling of time share a common phase transition. That is, grouping occurs only over the span of time passage that can be felt. A mathematical theory of felt time is then constructed using activation decay as the core mechanism. The theory has the implication that the range of felt time would satisfy an allometry, perhaps the same one as rhythmic pulse. The implication is tested in two ethological studies of pauses taken in natural speech. There is the clear finding that just as taller people have an extended range over which they can experience rhythmic pulse, they also have an extended range over which time is felt. The book concludes by noticing a deep and underlying convergence between our hearts and our temporality.
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