Time Perception as an Embodied Experience - From Heartbeat Rhythms to the Synchrony of Tensional Selves
Time Perception as an Embodied Experience - From Heartbeat Rhythms to the Synchrony of Tensional Selves
Introduction
Our perception of time is not a ticking inner clock but a dynamic interplay of sensations, memories, and bodily rhythms. When we take a deep breath, dance, or go through intense emotions, time seems to change. But why?
In this blog, we explore how the body — through proprioception, interoception, and the so-called Tensional Selves — shapes our experience of time. You’ll see how Zone 2 is not just a mental state, but the condition in which time is truly lived, not merely counted.
First-Person Consciousness
"I am the consciousness that senses when my body moves differently through time. Sometimes slower. Sometimes like lightning."
Perceived Time Is Not Chronological
While the clock marks hours, your body measures time through another system: metabolic changes, heartbeats, breathing rhythms, dopamine levels, attentional focus, and micro-variations in temperature and energy.
This lived time is processed by what we call the Damasian Mind — a synthesis of interoception (internal sensations like heartbeat), proprioception (body position), and sensory perception to form the present moment.
In Zone 2, time can expand — as during creative immersion — or contract during deep pleasure. In Zone 3, dominated by ideology or chronic stress, time often feels stuck or repetitive.
Events That Distort Time Perception
Certain events disrupt the linear experience of time:
Spinning around your own axis with eyes open: activates the vestibular system and scrambles linear time orientation;
Running above 20 km/h or riding over 300 km/h: induces “tunnel vision” where time feels stretched or frozen;
Slow breathing (4–6 cycles per minute): activates the parasympathetic system, triggering atemporality, serotonin release, and increased cerebral SpO₂;
Acute stress: cortisol and adrenaline fragment time perception into survival-oriented bursts — typical of Zone 3;
Meditation or deep flow: evokes Zone 2, where brain connectomes reorganize and time dissolves into embodied presence.
Attentional Focus Shapes Time
When we split attention — like playing the piano while listening to our breath — we create an inner pulse that restructures how time is experienced. Synchronizing these focal points allows time to become a fluid and meaningful experience.
This process is supported by the Tensional Selves — subtle mental-bodily configurations that adapt metabolic demand to action. They regulate how much energy, time, and focus we allocate to each emotion or activity.
SpO₂, Breathing, and Mental Time
A promising biomarker — prefrontal oxygen saturation (SpO₂) — has shown links between internal time and physiology. When SpO₂ levels remain between 92% and 94%, Zone 2 becomes accessible, enhancing flow states, attentional reorganization, and temporal fluidity.
This reinforces the idea that time can be trained, breathed, and reorganized — as part of our Body-Territory: a concept that unites consciousness, metabolism, and environment.
Conclusion: Time as Embodied Perception
Lived time does not reside in a clock — or in social media algorithms. It pulses within your own body. It lives in your rhythms, your pauses, and those moments where your Tensional Selves synchronize with your surroundings. In these moments, time ceases to be a line — and becomes a field of lived possibilities.
Post-2020 References Supporting This Approach
Simmons, W.K. et al. (2023/2024). Interoception: Synthesizing Insights and Charting New Directions.
Volodina, K. et al. (2025). Interoceptive signals and emotional states shape temporal perception through heart rate modulation.
Klamut, J. et al. (2023). Embodying Consciousness through Interoception and a Temporality of the Body.
Falla, M. et al. (2024). Effect of oxygen supplementation on cognitive performance among HEMS providers after acute exposure to altitude.
Xie, Z. et al. (2025). The effects of the night shift on cognitive function and baseline cerebral oxygen saturation.
Garutti, I. et al. (2025). High Cerebral Oxygen Saturation Levels During One-Lung Ventilation and Postoperative Cognitive Outcomes.
Kawai, K. et al. (2025). The impact of brain-systemic oxygenation coupling in sleep and cognition.
Ferentzi, E. et al. (2025). Cardiac Interoceptive Accuracy: An Empirical Comparison of Three Tasks.
Gagnon, S. et al. (2024). Oxygen supplementation and cognitive function in long-COVID: A randomized crossover pilot study.
