#Life flashing before your eyes meme series

They argue we live in a static “block universe” in which time is spread out in a kind of panorama where the past, the present and the future co-exist simultaneously. Indeed, since Einstein’s theory of relativity, some physicists have adopted a “spatial” view of time. But modern physics has cast doubt on this simple linear view of time. Our commonsense view of time is as an arrow that moves from the past through the present towards the future, in which we only have direct access to the present. Thinking in ‘spatial’ timeĪn alternative explanation is to think of time in a “spatial” sense. And none of these theories explain how it’s possible for such a vast amount of information – in many cases, all the events of a person’s life – to manifest themselves in a period of a few seconds, and often far less. This could be related to “ cortical disinhibition” – a breaking down of the normal regulatory processes of the brain – in highly stressful or dangerous situations, causing a “cascade” of mental impressions.īut the life review is usually reported as a serene and ordered experience, completely unlike the kind of chaotic cascade of experiences associated with cortical disinhibition. A handful of theories have been put forward, but they’re understandably tentative and rather vague.įor example, a group of Israeli researchers suggested in 2017 that our life events may exist as a continuum in our minds, and may come to the forefront in extreme conditions of psychological and physiological stress.Īnother theory is that, when we’re close to death, our memories suddenly “unload” themselves, like the contents of a skip being dumped. Perhaps surprisingly, given how common it is, the “ life review experience” has been studied very little.

#Life flashing before your eyes meme series

In some cases, people don’t see a review of their whole lives, but a series of past experiences and events that have special significance to them.