Tryptaphasia: is there an app for that?

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Jgjgjg

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many years ago during the Paleolithic I took a lot of defensive firearms classes. Various teachers emphasized the role of tryptaphasia. I know I’m misspelling it as googling the term gets nothing.

Basically it’s the phenomenon where, under high stress, the visual cortex over-processes and thus slows down transmission of sight to the conscious mind. This explains phenomenon of cases where (for example) two people will empty 17 rounds each at each other in an elevator and miss each other entirely: they are each shooting at a spot where they see the other person but where that person no longer is.

I was wondering: is there a test/app where a person can assess their susceptibility to this?
 
Tachypsychia is the perceptual effect that makes time seem to slow down for a person who is in a life-threatening situation.

It's just a trick of perception, an illusion, a person doesn't actually see things with higher time resolution nor does their brain actually work any faster, they just feel like things are happening in slow-motion. In fact, there's some evidence to suggest that they aren't really even perceiving things in slow motion as much as they are remembering the incident with more chronological detail than they would a normal event.

I hadn't heard that it slowed transmission of visual information to the brain. Do you remember where you heard/read that aspect of the phenomenon?

The only way I know of to test for this would be to put yourself under extreme stress. At least one experimenter induced tachypsychia by dropping people into a net from a significant height.

I think the main reason people don't make a lot of hits in gunfights is because they're expending more energy trying to not get shot by the other guy than they are trying to get hits.
 
Tachypsychia is the perceptual effect that makes time seem to slow down for a person who is in a life-threatening situation.
Huh ... there is a term for that. Thanks!

I have experienced that multiple times in my life and always found it to be fascinating ... after the excitement was over and while I was waiting for the after-effects of the adrenaline dump to clear. :)
 
many years ago during the Paleolithic I took a lot of defensive firearms classes. Various teachers emphasized the role of tryptaphasia. I know I’m misspelling it as googling the term gets nothing.

Basically it’s the phenomenon where, under high stress, the visual cortex over-processes and thus slows down transmission of sight to the conscious mind. This explains phenomenon of cases where (for example) two people will empty 17 rounds each at each other in an elevator and miss each other entirely: they are each shooting at a spot where they see the other person but where that person no longer is.

I was wondering: is there a test/app where a person can assess their susceptibility to this?
Tachypsychia, is a very real thing and having experienced it more than a few times as an LEO and even as a civilian [ car accidents and street confrontations ] ,I can state that it can be a VERY useful thing = IF you learn how to use that time to your advantage.
Wish I knew how to simulate it as you mention.
Good post and very interesting topic.
 
I have had this happen to me before. For those unfamiliar with this condition, it is brought to life very well (and quite hilariously) in the animated movied Over The Hedge. Just look up Hammy the Squirrel. You will be entertained.
 
Not me, I know that I go at fat old guy speed.

JohnKsa nailed it. Also, the reports and evidence that it is more than an after the fact memory effect rather than a real time perceptual effect.

Transmission time to the visual cortex is fixed. There are things that affect it but they are more neurological than psychological.
 
I have never experienced it but there have been reports of tunnel vision and auditory exclusion in high stress encounters. I have experienced tachypsychia in couple of high stress encounters.
 
The effect of tunnel vision and auditory exclusion have been extensively studied. Lots of human factors / cognitive psychology work in war fighting, aviation, lab studies, driving, etc. Done since WWII.

Tachypsychia - as mentioned above maybe a memory effect as compared to a real change in time perception.
 
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