For most of us, in an environment where there is no clock, the perception of time continues with the sunrise and sunset. Well, how would you feel if you were thrown into an environment where you could not predict the time in any way by eliminating the Sun as well?
In fact, a 40-day experiment was conducted in May 2021 to answer this question. 15 participants lived in the cave without clocks and daylight for 40 days. Today, we are here with a woman who devoted almost 12 times longer than 40 days to this experiment.
Flamini’s exit from the cave after 500 days
Spanish athlete Beatriz Flamini spent 500 days in a cave by herself. She took note of her experiences to show how the extreme of isolation feels like to a person. The results revealed surprising details for the human perception of time.
The biggest detail actually showed itself when he first exited the cave. Coming out of the cave on September 12, Flamini thought he had been removed early. Describing his experiences to journalists, Flamini shared that he thought he only stayed in the cave for 160-170 days. But it had filled all 500 days.
He completely lost his sense of time. So why?
During his stay in the cave, Flamini led his own life with his own hands. He ate what he wanted when he wanted, slept when he wanted, drew when he wanted… So how did he lose his sense of time?
The factors that play a role in sensing the passage of time are not limited to the sunrise and sunset. The emotions we feel and the changes around us also greatly support our perception of time.
In addition, the memories you live and how long these memories cover lay the foundations for a perception of time in your own biology. We know that an event will last for ‘x’ time, and we can constantly change the consistency of this time with each factor around us.
If you stay in an environment where you don’t talk to anyone, do whatever you want whenever you want, don’t follow the agenda, and don’t say ‘today I will do this’, your brain starts to forget the concept of time.
So why did Flamini do this experiment?
Flamini, 50, wanted to learn more about how the human mind and body cope with extreme loneliness and contribute to the scientific world. Of course, he did not do this experiment alone.
Flamini was followed throughout the experiment by scientists from the Universities of Almaria, Granada and Murcia. He was contacted from time to time. Flamini’s notes have not been shared yet.
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