Hard moments play in slow motion. That’s not the moment lasting longer. That’s you noticing more.

Under stress your attention widens and records far more detail than usual, which is why a crash, a fall or a terrible conversation seems to go on forever while it is happening. Nothing slowed down. You took more pictures per second, and the memory plays back long because it is dense.

Use it where you can. In the middle of something intense, name three things you can see, since your attention is already open wide. Afterwards, expect the memory to feel heavier than the clock says, and do not read that weight as a measure of meaning.