The secret to living longer.

The secret to living longer is to be afraid. The secret to living longer is stepping outside your comfort zone. The secret to living longer is trying new things as often as possible.

Our perception of time is not fixed, it varies depending on what we are experiencing at that moment or what we experienced moment we are presently recalling. Certain moments feel longer than others depending on those stimuli.

Imagine putting a large spider in the palm of an arachnophobe. To that (terribly misfortunate) individual, time would seem to pass much slower than normal because they are feeling fear. Fear is very stimulating and our perception of time slows as we experience it. The same amount of time is passing but it feels much longer because of what is happening.

Our perception of time can also be sped up. When taking a vacation or holiday it feels like the day, weekend or week flew by in no time at all. We are constantly being exposed to fun, positive experiences. We are continually being exposed to new experiences and so time feels that it’s moving much quicker than normal — let alone, the spider — in — the — palm speed.

But interestingly enough, when looking back at that vacation, those are the memories that are remembered as being the longest. Sure, the vacation may feel like it flew by in no time at all (and often it does) but when thinking about when it actually started and everything that was done along the way, it feels like a much longer time has passed than that day, weekend or week.

Each of those new experiences that occurs is remembered with a new set of thoughts, opinions and feelings. The reactions can’t be lumped together with past experiences because they’re new, unique events — they get’s their own, new place in the memory bank.

How does this at all correlate to you living longer? — well, it doesn’t.

It does relate to feeling like you’ve lived longer. The experience of fear — well actually lets call it ‘stepping outside of one’s comfort zone’ increases our perceived notion of time as it occurs. The memory of a new experience increases the perceived amount of time. By putting both of these things together, one perceives time to move more slowly in the present, as well as when recalling past events.

Isn’t that close enough to living longer?

So get uncomfortable, try something new and take a risk here and there.

Be afraid every once in a while :)