Abstract

Perception is usually automatically linked to some sensory input or stimuli but the perception of time is not so straightforward, in that it certainly exists in the mind but with a decided absence of related sensory input or experience. This chapter subscribes to Kant's position that time is a necessary aspect of all experience and provides a hypothesis on how and why this is, by exploring the inner workings of our memory and the process of recollection. Evidence from multiple experiments and studies indicate that animals—and people—have built-in internal clocks, which enable the attribution of time stamps on experiences and actions, which, in turn, influences reactions towards stimuli. This supports the notion that time, as we “perceive” it, is not a byproduct of a sensory stimuli. Rather, it is embedded in our brains, and pervades our behaviors, both in the present and in the future.