You know how some dreams seem to take all night?

I’ve got a 🤯 for you.

Because research has found most dreams are only 5-15 minutes long (some are just a few seconds).

To me that was astonishing, because I can’t even have an end-to-end conversation with Nicole (or any of our kids) in 5-15 minutes, yet I can have these rich, meaningful, and LOOOONG dreams?

Or, if you’ve ever been in traumatic or terrifying situation it can feel like time slows down.

Like the time I hit the longest patch of black ice (invisible and incredibly slippery ice for all y’all who don’t live in wintery places) known to mankind while driving the family station wagon and did 360s down the road for hundreds of yards—miraculously straightening out and driving off without injury or damage.

When the car started to spin it felt like time went into a smoothy silky crawl, yet the car must’ve been spinning far faster than I experienced.

To me these are all “easter eggs” in a sense pointing to the illusion of time, and encouraging we humans not to take the construct too seriously.

The Ilusion of Time

The fact of the matter is when we talk about time, when we think about it, and when we LIVE, it’s really about perception of time, rather than anything absolute.

What we experience as time, as reality, is in fact experiences stitched together by all the information our brains collect, process, and interpret.

As you can imagine, that’s a TON of data.

And yet our brains are miraculous in terms of their ability to process massive amounts of data in a remarkably efficient manner (apparently using only the amount of energy a dim light bulb requires: 20 watts).

Amazing.

Okay, but back to the subject at hand. The thing is that our experience of reality is actually kind of like time delay in professional sports—time allowed to make sure that broadcasters can negotiate commercial breaks, anticipate and handle any unforeseen “inappropriate” content…that kind of thing.

Of course, whereas the time delay in “live” broadcasting can range from a few seconds to a few minutes, our brain takes just a fraction of a second to move sensory data around and process it into our conscious experience.

Still, the bottom-line is that given this minuscule delay we’re always living a little bit in the past.

To me what’s fascinating about all this "science” is that it suggests that time (and our experience of it) is not nearly as linear or constant as we might think. Instead, as in dreams or terrifying/high stress situations it can speed up or slow down.

But okay, so that’s cool, but what are the implications for how we ride, how we compete, and ultimately for how we live?

Making Time Your Ally in the Saddle

You see, understanding this elasticity of time perception can give you a leg up—literally and figuratively—in riding competitions.

And, as you can imagine, in life—which is, in some ways, the ultimate competition.

Ever find that the clock seems to tick faster when you're trying to make that perfect turn around a barrel?

Or perhaps right before you throw your loop time slows to a crawl. You feel everything “zero in” in a sense right before you release.

Or perhaps the seconds drag on endlessly as you're awaiting your turn in the ring?

This is your brain's way of messing with you, or as I like to say, it's your internal "timekeeper" getting a little creative.

Train Your Brain, Master Time

Just as you train your body and your horse for optimal performance, you can train your mind to better manage your perception of time.

Some of the world's best athletes use techniques like mindfulness, visualization, and even breath control to manipulate their internal timekeepers.

Could a touch of mindfulness make that pattern feel less rushed? You betcha.

Could visualizing your ideal run make it easier to achieve? Quite possibly.

Time Well Spent: Live Better, Ride Better

But hey, this isn't just about competitive advantage. It's about the quality of life, too.

Imagine if you could make those cherished moments with family and friends feel a bit longer.

Or, what if you could train your mind to make mundane chores go by in a flash?

The point is, understanding how our brains perceive time opens the door to a fuller, richer experience both in and out of the saddle.

Summing It Up: Be the Time-Master, Not the Time-Slave

In short, understanding how our brains work can help us control our experience of time, rather than letting it control us.

The next time you find yourself counting the seconds in a high-pressure situation, just remember: Time's only got as much power over you as you give it.

There you go. You're not just riders; you're time-traveling cowboys and cowgirls, mastering not just horses but the very fabric of your reality. How's that for a 🤯 moment?

Thanks!

Thanks for joining me on another of my (you know me!) down-the-rabbit-hole kind of newsletters where I (with great delight, I might add) explore the adjacencies between science/physics/biology/mental performance/riding/life.

If you’d like to learn strategies to help you master your experience of time, riding, and life, you might like the FREE 3-part Online Live training Nicole is currently running, “Develop Unshakable Confidence.”

And you can already catch Part 1 as a replay and be ready to catch Part 2 live online on Tuesday.

Interested? ‘Course you are!

REGISTER FOR DEVELOP UNSHAKABLE CONFIDENCE

Thanks again for joining me this week. I appreciate it!

Catch you next time, mi amigos!

Warm regards,

Abe