is there any truth to you experiencing slow motion in times of extreme events (ie. car accidents)?
The phenomenon of time slowing down in emergencies is a product of one's memory, and has nothing to do with the actual speed of events [4, 5]. The brain processes stimuli faster in situations involving danger, and perceives the outside world as moving more slowly as a result [1, 2, 4, 5]. This is an advantage for survival, as it allows one to respond more quickly [1]. However, lab tests have shown that emotionally charged events are actually judged to last longer [3]. Dilation of time in these emotionally-charged situations happens regardless of whether the person is emotionally prepared for the event or not [3, 5]. This phenomenon can also be observed in the opposite direction, where time appears to speed up as we age and lay down fewer memories [4].
It is possible that people in danger experience time slowing down due to an illusion resulting from the brain speeding up from adrenaline when in danger [1, 3]. However, experiments have shown that volunteers strapped with a "perceptual chronometer" could not read numbers appearing on the watch's screen at faster-than-normal speeds, which means that people in danger probably can't see and perceive more like a video camera in slow motion can [2, 3]. Instead, people who are in danger report that time seems to have moved in slow motion during the event [1, 3]. This phenomenon may be due to the heightened importance of the event, which makes it seem longer than it really is [4].