Ages ago (early 1980s) I read a magazine article about the minds' adaptation when falling. The article posited that the brain kicks into high gear and time subjectively slows down for the faller, enabling them to take action to save themselves.
The article had several first-hand accounts of people who had fallen off cliffs, wagons, and the like, and one skydiver who survived impact by landing in a muddy ditch. The article was especially interesting since I was a skydiver at the time and all of us jumpers could relate to the feelings described. Not only that, but the one skydiver interviewed had jumped at our drop zone and was known by most of us.
Sadly, I can't remember where the article appeared. I think it was Smithsonian Magazine but I have been unable to locate a reference online. If anyone else locates it, please post.
I remember reading about some experiments done on this where the result was that the subjects just remembered the experience in more detail, and didn't actually experience time slower. Something about looking at something that changed just slightly faster than the maximum speed someone can normally see changes in something, while freefalling.
That makes sense - high adrenaline causing extremely high resolution for memory write, but later the playback speed on a read is the same, so it seems slower when really it's just more detailed / takes up more tape.
I experienced this a few years ago descending a hill on my MTB I hit a patch of black ice and crashed I can clearly remember looking at the car close behind and having time to think is he going to hit me
The article had several first-hand accounts of people who had fallen off cliffs, wagons, and the like, and one skydiver who survived impact by landing in a muddy ditch. The article was especially interesting since I was a skydiver at the time and all of us jumpers could relate to the feelings described. Not only that, but the one skydiver interviewed had jumped at our drop zone and was known by most of us.
Sadly, I can't remember where the article appeared. I think it was Smithsonian Magazine but I have been unable to locate a reference online. If anyone else locates it, please post.