The Brain's Timing Tricks

The brain actively synchronizes sensory signals from different senses by recalibrating its timing. It adjusts to delays by expecting simultaneous feedback when it causes an action. This recalibration helps the brain determine causality and construct a unified perception of the world. In an experiment where participants pressed a button to trigger a flash of light, the brain adjusted to a delay and perceived synchronicity. However, when the delay was removed, participants felt that the flash occurred before they pressed the button, demonstrating an illusory reversal of action and effect. This phenomenon has implications in understanding schizophrenia, where impaired timing recalibration may contribute to symptoms like credit misattribution and auditory hallucinations.