Why the Years Fly Swiftly for the Aged

1914

Every person of fifty or more is familiar with the fact that as one grows old time apparently passes much more rapidly. "It seems but yesterday" is a phrase often used with reference to duration sometimes of years, and the phrase expresses an actual fact. Of course time does not vary its course. The acceleration is only apparent. Recent psychological researches ascribe it almost entirely to a gradual failure in memory.

In earlier life each day stands out clearly by reason of association with the events that occur therein. These are retained in the memory and help to preserve the sequence of the passing years. But as soon as the mysterious biochemical changes which herald the approach of old age occur the memory begins to fail. Much that happens in intervals between important events is forgotten, with the result that those intervals seem shorter than they really are.

The time between falling into a dreamless slumber and awakening therefrom may be a matter of hours, but because the mind is blank during sleep it seems practically nothing. Dreaming lengthens the apparent interval because it gives the memory some data by which to reckon time. Therefore the more one dreams the longer does his period of sleep appear to him — that is to say, one's apprehension of time is largely dependent upon his memory. The more faulty the latter the more erroneous the former. The years fly by so swiftly for the aged because the aged forget so much of what occurs in them.