Time perception embodied: the effect of yogic posture and meditation on retrospective time estimations

Abstract

The current study aims to integrate models of embodied and cognitive time perception by investigating the role of attention allocation, physiological arousal, and arm length on retrospective time estimations. We operationalize attention through an open monitoring meditation and physiological arousal through expansive and contractive yogic postures. Arm length was analyzed as a covariate. Participants (N=60) reported estimated time spent on a brief attention task after either listening to music or meditating and the adoption of an expansive or contractive yogic posture. We found that the expansive posture lengthened time estimations in comparison to the contractive posture, and that this effect was accentuated for individuals with longer arms. No significance was found for the effect of meditation on retrospective time estimations. Interactive effects of posture and arm length feed into embodied models of time perception, emphasizing the idea that our spatial relationship to the external world directly influences our internal perceptions.