Time Perception & Entrainment by Dopamine, Serotonin & Hormones

In this episode, I discuss how our brain and body track time and the role that neurochemicals, in particular dopamine and serotonin, but also hormones such as melatonin, allow us to orient ourselves in time. I review the three types of time perception: of the past, of the present, and the future, and how dopamine and serotonin adjust both our perception of the speed of the passage of time and our memory of how long previous experiences lasted. I also discuss circannual entrainment, which is the process by which our brain and body are matched to the seasons, and circadian (24 hours) entrainment, both of which subconsciously adjust our perceived measurement of time. I explain the mechanisms of that subconscious control. And I cover the ultradian (90 minutes) rhythms that govern our ability to focus, including how to track when these 90-minute rhythms begin and end for the sake of work and productivity. I include ten tools based on the science of time perception that you can apply to enhance productivity, creativity, and relationships in various contexts. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introducing Time Perception, Note on Fasting & Supplements 00:05:28 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:09:25 Entrainment, Circannual Entrainment, Melatonin 00:13:20 Seasonal Oscillations in Testosterone & Estrogen, Tool 1 00:16:06 Circadian Timing, Tools 1, 2, 3 (for Circadian Entrainment) 00:21:13 Tool 4: Timing Physical Activity; Tool 5: Timing Eating Window 00:23:00 When Circadian Entrainment Is Disrupted, Time Perception Suffers 00:25:00 Tool 6: Ultradian (90min) Cycles & Focus 00:31:42 Our Sense of the Passage of Time: Present, Prospective, Retrospective 00:34:40 Dopamine (& Nor/epinephrine) Lead to Time Overestimation; Frame Rate 00:37:18 Serotonin & Time Underestimation; Decreased Frame Rate 00:39:10 Dopamine vs. Serotonin Across the Day; Tool 7: When to Do Rigid vs. Creative Work 00:42:38 Example of Tool 7 00:43:38 How Sleep Deprivation Degrades Performance 00:44:38 Trauma, “Over-clocking” & Memories; Adjusting Rates of Experience 00:50:04 Why Trauma Involves Dopamine & Epinephrine, Arousal 00:51:03 Dopamine, Spontaneous Blinking & Time Perception; Tool 8 00:53:38 Deliberate Cold Exposure, Dopamine, Tool 9: Adjusting Frame Rate in Discomfort 00:56:30 Fun “Feels Fast” BUT Is Remembered as Slow; Boring Stuff “Feels Slow,” Recall as Fast 01:00:54 Retrospective Time, Context Variation & Enhanced Bonding with Places & People 01:03:00 Dopamine Release Resets the Start of Each Time Bin on Our Experience 01:07:40 Habits & Time Perception; Tool 10 (Setting Functional Units of Each Day) 01:11:58 Synthesis & Book Suggestion (Your Brain Is a Time Machine by D. Buonomano) 01:12:27 Supporting the HLP: Subscribe, Instagram, Supplements Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices