When you fall down the stairs, get hit by a car or whatever why does it seem to go in SLOW MOTION to you?

Question

(For the record, I have fallen down the stairs and was hit by a car -- and a motorcycle!)

Answer 1

It's a survival mechanism.  Your brain kicks into overdrive (or into a processing speed you can normally not access even if you wanted to) and processes things so much faster that they seem to be happening in slow-motion.

Answer 2

If you were a cat you would have 6 more lives to go.

How to describe… it’s has something to do with our “internal time-sensor”  and time perception.  It's like when you're having fun, the time goes by quickly;  you're having a boring time, the time drags.  Seeing danger approach and not having time to react until the adrenalin kicks in.

Answer 3

It is true...its the survival instinct if you wish to call it an instinct...its the brain processing the plight ahead...I've fallen down the stairs, once ended up in a hospital, the second time, I just slid down on ice, each step in "slow motion"...and bruised my tailbone...OUCH that hurt!!!!

Answer 4

it's it a phycological wonder how that happens but he is right ,it is survival instinct. its happened to me to , scary but fasinating hhhmmmmm...

Answer 5

you seem to be accident prone. i would be more careful if i were you. things seem to go in slow motion because you focus and remember all the details.