[chris (OP)]

Many people say that their perception of time changes when they are involved in an accident or some similar calamity. Obviously time ticks on regardless of the individual, but why does our perception of the passage of time change in this way?

[evan_au]

The psychologist David Eagleman decided to put this to the test by dropping volunteers off a 150-foot high tower.
They had a specially-designed wristwatch to test whether the brain sped up at such times - but it didn't.
See: https://www.livescience.com/2117-time-slow-emergencies.html

[chris (OP)]

Thanks for the reference!