Warping Reality: Scientists Say You Can Bend Time With Your Mind
By Rob McConnell | TWATNews.com | Friday, October 3, 2025
New research suggests “time expansion” experiences may unlock altered states of consciousness
Time may not be as rigid as we’ve always been told. While astrophysicists debate how gravity bends the fabric of space-time, new psychological research is showing that our own minds may be capable of stretching and warping time itself.
Dr. Steve Taylor, a psychologist at Leeds Beckett University, has spent the past decade studying what he calls Time Expansion Experiences (TEEs)—those surreal moments when time seems to slow down, stretch, or even freeze altogether. His new book, Time Expansion Experiences, makes the case that these episodes represent profound altered states of consciousness rather than mere tricks of memory.
A Car Crash That Changed His Perspective
Taylor’s fascination with TEEs began in 2014, when he and his wife were in a car accident. In the chaos of the crash, he recalls that everything shifted into slow motion—cars crawled by as if frozen, sounds stretched out, and he had what felt like minutes to process details in an event that lasted only seconds.
That brush with mortality launched a decade-long investigation into why these time-warping experiences happen. Taylor collected nearly 100 accounts, finding that TEEs often occur during accidents, sporting events, meditation, or even psychedelic journeys.
Beyond Fight-or-Flight
Conventional theories suggest that TEEs are triggered by the body’s flood of noradrenaline—the fight-or-flight hormone that sharpens awareness. But Taylor argues this doesn’t explain why TEEs also emerge during calm states such as meditation or intense focus.
Another explanation—that TEEs are illusions created by memories packing in more detail—falls short too. In countless testimonies, people insist they weren’t just remembering more, but actively thinking and reacting faster than seemed humanly possible.
Slipping Into Another “Time-World”
Taylor believes these moments mark a genuine shift in consciousness. “The sudden shock of an accident may disrupt our normal psychological processes, causing an abrupt shift in consciousness,” he explains. Athletes, meanwhile, describe “super-absorption,” a razor-sharp mental state where they move and react with superhuman clarity.
Rather than being illusions, Taylor suggests TEEs may be windows into a different kind of time-world—a mental realm where the normal flow of seconds and minutes breaks down.
Time: More Fluid Than We Think
While physicists remind us that the universe bends time under the weight of gravity, Taylor’s work highlights that time can also bend under the weight of human perception. Whether it’s surviving a car crash, sinking deep into meditation, or catching the perfect split-second in sport, time—at least in our minds—may be far more flexible than we’ve ever dared to imagine.