Out of Sync with Time: A Multidisciplinary Look at Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder

A conceptual illustration of distorted time perception, symbolizing the complex interplay of cognitive and sensory factors. For most of us, time flows steadily from moment to moment; for those living with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, the passage of time can feel alarmingly irregular – a lesser-known effect of these illnesses that can profoundly disrupt daily life. Recognizing these distortions is crucial, both to grasp what patients experience and to improve how we support them. I am Mark Stephen Lyons Jr., an independent researcher (and founder of The Nomothete LLC), and a student of psychology, driven to unravel this mystery. In my work bridging neuroscience, mental health, and philosophy, I’ve learned the importance of looking beyond surface symptoms to patients’ inner experiences. This motivation led me to launch a multidisciplinary research study on time perception disturbances in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. In this article, I want to explain the scope of the study and invite professionals across disciplines to contribute their expertise.
Why Time Perception Matters
Studies confirm that people with these disorders experience time differently from others. For example, a meta-analysis found they judge durations with far less consistency and precision, and have trouble ordering events chronologically compared to individuals without the condition; some patients even report bizarre distortions like feeling time run in reverse during psychotic episodes. Researchers theorize that such temporal disruptions might help trigger certain symptoms – a brain out of sync in time could contribute to hallucinations or a disconnect between thought and action. In short, the internal clock in these conditions may “tick irregularly”, leaving patients perpetually out of step with the world. By understanding how and why time perception breaks down, we can better grasp the challenges patients face and develop more effective ways to help.
Our Multidisciplinary Approach
No single field has all the answers, so our study embraces an interdisciplinary approach. We are uniting insights from multiple domains to build a richer picture of these disturbances. Key perspectives include:
Neuroscience: Examining the brain’s timing mechanisms – how neural circuits and chemicals regulate our internal clock.
Clinical Psychology & Psychiatry: Studying how distorted timing appears in symptoms and cognition, and its impact on daily life and clinical care.
Philosophy of Time: Applying theoretical lenses (like phenomenology and philosophy of mind) to interpret patients’ subjective experiences of time.
Therapeutic Practice: Identifying strategies (mindfulness, structured routines, creative interventions) that might help patients cope with or recalibrate their sense of time.
By looking at the problem from all these angles, we aim to spot patterns and connections that a single-discipline approach might miss. This broad perspective allows us to link brain dynamics with lived experience and practical solutions.
Invitation to Collaborate
As part of this project, I am conducting an expert survey to gather knowledge from professionals. If you have expertise in any of the areas above, I warmly invite you to share your insights – whether it’s clinical observations, research findings, philosophical reflections, or therapy techniques – all perspectives are invaluable. I encourage interested colleagues to message or connect with me here on LinkedIn to learn more about the survey and how to participate (since there’s no public link, I will provide details individually). Together, by pooling our knowledge across disciplines, we can shed new light on this mysterious aspect of mental health and ultimately improve the lives of those affected. Thank you for reading about this initiative. Interdisciplinary collaboration is key to understanding this complex challenge. I’m excited to collaborate with you in exploring time, mind, and healing.