From Steve Dales:

Re: Why we feel “slow motion” during crisis (Dec. 11): Mr Eagleman’s theory of time effect flawed in test. I found this members theory on the perceived slowing of time processing when a human or animal’s survival is at stake. The test subjects needed to preform a life saving function in test duration.

First, I have been in 3-4 situations being a lifelong motorcyclist where this slowing or excessive processing has allowed within a second or two window me to take action far different than an irrelivant counter as in the experiment. If the participants knew that concrete layed below and that inputing a sequence from the digital scroll would save them a percentage would show accelerated processing.

Second, if you speak with war vets I am sure you will have yet another example where the super concentrated attention of the individual in fact allowed them to avoid bullets etc. It sounds un scientific but I believe the ability does not exist in all people and some people truly are clumsy as far as this slowing occuring during extremley traumatic situations. Having myself avoided a sharp handlebar end while in the air during a “high side” accident I am convinced and recal deciding and preparing in actual image, physical and emotional states for an alternate position to fall in.

These accidents occur in milliseconds at 80mph yet I had time to as strange it may sound, Position bike below on ground my body 4 feet above same trajectory and falling face first: I first see handlebar end, I see a graphic of handlebar end in my eye socket! (slowing increses) I decide with my one hand no contacting bike headset to pull my body forward and “take it in chest”.

While waiting LOL! for contact with handlebar end now 90 degrees to pavement I image first the B/W TV show intro perfectly of the bullet bouncing off Supermans chest! then right when I impacted with my chest those images of phagocytosis or whatever came to mind and the word envelope the hit and absorb it by spreading weight over my body keeping head off road.

I slid on top of the bike to a stop. No cracked ribs, slight heart beat jump and light shock afterward made effort not to get sick.

Did you test subjects get sick after the test? if not they may only have been slightly concerned and not faced with what they felt was death which this effect is really capable of affecting or avoiding as a dog that makes it across an LA highway.

For the 2 sec. I did more imaging and calculating than I have yet to achieve in tests I have tried. It is a window for action if one is “wired” for it. I do not drink alcohol so that may play a part.