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Have others struggled with similar thoughts - and as a rather odd question - how can one make their life feel...longer?
Think of it this way: When you're ten years old, and somebody tells you that you can't have a certain thing you want for another year, well, that's 10% of your life. But at the age of 80, that would be only a bit over 1% -- not nearly as long.
So, how to make life seem longer? Pay more attention in the moment. Don't take routine experiences for granted. Learn to see everyday miracles as miracles, not just the same old same old. Some people would call it mindfulness, but since that's become a controversial term, don't mess with it, and for heaven's sake don't take a workshop or follow some self-help book. Just experiment with how you, in the life you currently live, can be more open and aware of the world around you. It's fascinating, and time will slow down.
Personally I think the dopaminergic hypothesis is not entirely incorrect [1], and there are treatments for this aspect of ageing.
1. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3...
I suppose if you forgot a lot, you'd have to rebuild your "dictionary".
This, my friend, is the human condition. When we're children, a summer can seem like forever. At my age (80) the years fly by. Think of it this way: When you're ten years old, and somebody tells you that you can't have a certain thing you want for another year, well, that's 10% of your life. But at the age of 80, that would be only a bit over 1% -- not nearly as long. So, how to make life seem longer? Pay more attent…
My answer is just what you've implicitly said: "my life is compressed". Your brain "compresses" information better as you get older. It builds up a dictionary of experiences, thoughts, sights, sounds. Encounter the same or similar sensation again, you just get an index of the previous experience. I suppose if you forgot a lot, you'd have to rebuild your "dictionary".
There is no good answer just yet, but it is either an information theory phenomenon (brain as a prediction machine theory), or this could be linked to activity of dopaminergic, cholinergic systems, or even changes to base neuron firing rates. There is a myriad of possible root causes. Personally I think the dopaminergic hypothesis is not entirely incorrect [1], and there are treatments for this aspect of ageing. 1. h…