:: the brain holds on to multiple images for 15 seconds to enable complete processing of the landscape or field of view. ::
Makes more sense, that way.
I used to quiz my kids in driver training to recall the last vehicle they passed; which side? car or truck? What color?
Then check the mirrors to see if it is still there behind them.
This is a technique the military teaches known as “compartmentalization”.
Bit of a slide -
Our brains are amazing and we probably don’t understand half of what they do or can do, but compartmentalization is absolutely essential to survival, especially in times of great stress or distress. The ability to relegate pain and discomfort to a “compartment” of the brain for a period of time allows us to continue with essential functions until we can more aptly deal with the trauma.
We had an ice storm in January 1998 that left my small community on the outskirts of Ottawa without electricity for 12 days. After the ice/rain stopped falling, the temperature dropped to -30. Each day was spent finding propane for the barbecue, cooking all manner of food on it, cleaning up the mess from the soot on the bottom of pots, heating enough water on it, and finding enough firewood to burn in the primarily decorative fireplace. We took turns sleeping in order to keep the fire going so we didn’t freeze to death. Then we started to hear of homes burning down from constant fires in the fireplaces because most had tin liners (including ours) and were never intended to accommodate a fire 24/7 for days on end. The hot tin was igniting the drywall around it and homes were catching fire from inside the walls.
After the water in the toilet bowls froze on day 6, we finally went to a hotel in the city. When we returned home after 6 more days, there was a tremendous mess to clean up and cracked toilets to be replaced. Once the mess was cleaned up and we were back in comfort and safety, I would burst into tears for no particular reason. I decided it was a wee version of PTSD brought on mostly by stress and lack of proper sleep. During the crisis, I absolutely compartmentalized so I could do my part to help the family survive. My husband fared much better than I did because he was able to go to work in a warm, comfortable office in the city every day.
I fully expect that when the world returns to the old but better normal in the future, I’ll have another mini meltdown as I fully process what my government did to me for two plus years and how my close they came to killing me.