Why does time seem to pass faster as we get older (How memory shapes our past)

Author: Douwe Draaisma (Netherlands)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Does the Dutch writer Cees Nooteboom's poem "Memory is like a dog, lying in its contented place" hold true? Where has that long and lazy summer of our childhood gone? Why does time seem to accelerate as we grow older, becoming condensed and unnoticed, yet when youth fades, those long-forgotten memories suddenly vividly return, as if they were yesterday? In this thought-provoking book, author Douwe Draaisma explores the essence of autobiographical memory. He uniquely blends his academic expertise, poetic sensibility, and sharp insight to explain special phenomena and issues such as déjà vu, near-death experiences, the memory techniques of idiot savants, and the effects of brain damage on memory. This book, filled with wisdom and philosophy, answers many questions about psychological autobiographical memory, and it is believed to not only provide enlightenment and entertainment but also deeply touch the readers' hearts.