Why can time seem to slow down in dangerous situations?

Thank you for asking ! The phenomen on you ' re referring to is a common psych ological phenomen on known as " time d ilation ." It ' s a well - document ed effect where time appears to slow down in situations where there is a perce ived threat or danger . This can happen in response to a variety of stim uli , such as a car accident , a medical emer gency , or even a near - de ath experience . \n There are several theories that attempt to explain why time d ilation occurs . One theory is that the brain processes thre ats more quickly than non - th re aten ing stim uli , which can cause the per ception of time slow ing down . Another theory suggests that the body ' s " f ight or flight " response , which is triggered in dangerous situations , can also affect the per ception of time . \n It ' s important to note that time d ilation is not a physical phenomen on , but rather a psych ological one . It ' s not a matter of time actually slow ing down , but rather the way our bra ins process and interpret time in response to certain stim uli . \n I hope this helps clarify things ! If you have any further questions , please don ' t hes itate to ask . </s>