Why awe makes people feel they have more time
Awe expands the subjective sense of time by pulling attention into the present moment, which makes the viewer feel less rushed and more willing to give time to a brand.
Filed by The Archivist 2 min read
Intuition test — answer before you read on
Why does an awe-inducing video make viewers feel they have more time?
Correct answer: A
Option B confuses brightness with time perception. Option C misidentifies the neurochemical pathway. Option A is correct: awe research shows that present-moment focus compresses temporal awareness, producing a subjective expansion of available time.
Rudd, Vohs, and Aaker induced awe by showing participants a nature video. Those in the awe condition estimated that they had more free time available, were more patient, and preferred experiential purchases over material ones. The clock did not slow down; the feeling of abundance was an emotional artefact.
What everyone sees
Participants attribute their sense of temporal abundance to a good mood or a relaxed state. They do not link the nature video to their subsequent time estimates or purchasing preferences. Awe is filed as a pleasant emotion, not as a perceptual distortion.
What is actually happening
Rudd, Vohs, and Aaker’s research showed that awe shifts attention to the present moment, which compresses the focus of temporal awareness and creates a feeling of time dilation. Csikszentmihalyi’s flow research supports this: immersion in the present reduces the frequency of future-oriented thoughts, and fewer future worries make the present feel more spacious.
Why it stays hidden
The mechanism hides because awe feels like a natural response to beauty, not a designed input. Brands that open with awe-inducing imagery are perceived as aspirational rather than strategic. The viewer does not suspect that the expanded time feeling makes them more receptive to spending time — and money — with the brand.
Awe stretches the felt clock. The viewer sees a mountain and suddenly has time for the pitch that follows.
Awe stretches the felt clock. The viewer sees a mountain and suddenly has time for the pitch that follows.
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Awe stretches the felt clock. The viewer sees a mountain and suddenly has time for the pitch that follows.
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Sources & further reading 2
- Rudd, Vohs & Aaker — Awe Expands People’s Perception of Time (2012)
- Csikszentmihalyi — Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990)
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