[dpcnull]

Now, this may sound like complete nonsense, but I swear it is true. For the past few months, nearly every time I accidentally check the time, it says "9:11". It happens in the mornings and the evenings. This is a daily occurance. I may have, for reasons unknown, psychologically tuned myself to check the time at precisely that hour and minute.

This could mean that the 9/11 attacks on the WTC had a profound impact on me, but I'm am certain did not. I did not lose a anyone that day, and as far as I'm concerned, that day was pretty routine (albeit the obvious.) I was a regular 11-year-old in school when it happened, and the only atypical event that directly affected me was that my school (being in east New Jersey, right across the river from the WTC) was evacuated as a precaution and my TV did not work (as many regional broadcasting antennas had gone down with the towers.)

I don't know what to do about this and figured discussion from my fellow internet peers would at least lead to something. It doesn't bother me at all; I find it a mere curiosity and will simply continue to experience it...

[turtle777]

It could also mean that your battery is dead, and your watch got stuck on 9:11

-t

[- - e r i k - -]

The full explanation:

Coincidence explanation 1) Number pattern:
The concept of an easily recognized number pattern (e.g. 1234) is already explained in the website. All I have to add about this is a Psychology 101 jargon, called “chucking”. Basically, our brain could only hold “x” number of items in our short-term memory; from the idiot to the genius, it’s about 5 to 9 items, respectively, which is not a whole lot. So, to increase our brain capacity for storing things, we tend to use this mechanism called “chunking”, which basically means putting like items together. The perfect everyday example is our phone numbering system; a typical phone number (in Canada) with area code, if we remember it, would make us look like geniuses! For e.g. a hypothetical phone number, 6134789890, by itself would exceed our 5 to 9 items of maximum capacity, since there are 10 digits all together. Of course, any idiot can remember a phone number once in a while especially if it's from some hot chic or guy! The reason is because we “chunk” the numbers by area code and then by 3 digits dash 4 digits together. So, visually we see 613-478-9890. In essence, the total number of items we are remembering is only 3 items. Similar explanation can be applied to things like acronyms (i.e. CIA, FBI, FEMA, etc.) to help people remember useless things, like government agencies. 12:34 or 11:11 displayed in a digital clock is instinctively chunked as 1 item, while more randomized times like 11:56 or 3:48 etc. has no real obvious pattern, so it is not being chunked by our brain, which makes it about 3 to 4 items. Obviously, the fewer the items the easier it is to remember.

Coincidence explanation 2) Significance of number series:
The second explanation is basically an extension of the first explanation. Some numbers simply in appearance resemble something meaningful to the person, like 911 or 666 or 111 or a number that resemble your birth date or the date your boyfriend passed away or whatever number that is tie to a significant event or a traumatising event like 9/11. This is like the “chunking” concept because you no longer see the numbers as individual digits, you seeing it as a whole; hence, again reducing the number of items that your brain can hold, which increases your ability to remember it. This is classical “gestalt” psychology, where the saying goes, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. E.g. the digits 9-1-1 are not seen as 3 individual items but as 1 item with a special meaning.

Of course, the 666 million dollar question is, “How does improving the memory of a number causes the number to be seen more often???” Well, it’s attention. Before you noticed 9-1-1 like a million times a day, you have to first pay attention to that particular series of number, registered it in your head that you saw it once in order for you to say that you saw it again, and again… For all you know, you might have saw 348 repeatedly, but if don’t even pay attention to it once, then you can’t keep track of the number of times you saw it. A number series of significance or a recognized number pattern provides that initial attention!

Coincidence explanation 3) Conditioned response:
The everyday example for this explanation is when you seem to know, without looking at your watch, that it’s lunchtime, which almost always is about the same time each day (for me is about noon). You are biologically conditioned to have lunch or feel the sensation of hunger around the same time each day. In relation to the digital clock phenomenon, it is very possible that you are conditioned to look at your watch or clock around the same time each day! Seriously, who actually thinks the chance of looking at your clock is the same during the middle of the night as during the daytime! Now, add on your conditioned clock viewing habit during certain time of the day, you basically only have a certain window of opportunity to look at your clock. This explanation kills any calculations trying to explain how unlikely you are to see the same digits because it doesn’t take into account this limited window of clock viewing opportunity. Of course, the window is different for each individual, but there are certain digits that should in theory be seen more often due to the similar pressures in life that drives the clock viewing habit, consider the following:

- During the morning at around 9-ish when you try to get to work on time, and when you actually get settle down and the monitor on your computer displays a 9:11!!! - Around 12-ish or 1-ish depending on when your boss let you take your lunch, and depending on how long you lunch is. For e.g. if it’s a ulcer inducing 30 minute lunch, you noticed you better hurry because you’re already a few minutes late at about 12:34 or if you have the luxury of an hour lunch, yet you could still be late with the chit-chatting, so you’re looking at 1:11 or 13:13 or 1:23 depending on when you start lunch.
- When you’re about to leave work at about 5-ish and wondering how long the last few minutes is going to take at 4:56. Or if you just plain lazy, at about 4:44!
- Now, depending on when you go to bed at night or the TV show that signals it’s time for bed. Some e.g., at about 10-ish or 22:22 (at about the last commercial break), or 11-ish or 23:23 or 11:11 (at about the first commercial break), at about 12-ish again 12:34 or 12:12 or 0:00:00 on your VCR.

Basically, the point is this; you are a human animal with routines, from your morning “exercise” routines (which lasts about 3 minutes and supposedly would improve your health), to your night routines (which might or might not involve sex in certain days of the week); routines is a type of conditioned response, and so it appears, your clock viewing habit as well.

Coincidences: The digital clock coincidence

[dpcnull]

That is a great explanation. The second one hit it pretty much spot on. Having seen that Jim Carrey film The Number 23, I know it is entirely possible that one can become obsessive when it comes to certain topics. I'm not a very religious person (you could consider me Atheist), but could this have any significance (other than the fact that I might be going loony.)

Regarding my relationship with the number 911, I forgot to add that I have (thankfully) never required emergency services. Anyway, I guess I'm overreacting to this. Thanks again for the article.

By the way, my clock perfectly fine . My computer syncs automatically via the internet and I set every other time-keeping device I own to the one my computer displays.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by dpcnull 

By the way, my clock perfectly fine .

Darn. I thought I nailed it.

-t

[peeb]

Mine says 4.20.

[- - e r i k - -]

911 has been permanently etched into the popular psyche by the media whether you were affected or not (of course everyone was and still is to some extent if you want to get technical). It's just one of those number sequences that seems to take on a meaning of its own whether you want it or not.

Coincidentally, my own favourite time to stare at a clock is 13:37

[dpcnull]

@--erick-- 13:37 ... now that's something! I just noticed your signature and I couldn't agree more. Additionally, I just spent a few minutes on your great flickr profile. What industry do you work in? All your photos have great composition!

[- - e r i k - -]

Advertising industry. Photography is just a hobby. For now.

[dpcnull]

Awesome! I suspected you did. I have always been interested in that field and hope that I might get creative enough to go into it myself. I'm great with PS but I just completely lack inpiration.

I'm on my iPod roght now and Safari keeps saying that the link shown in you user profile "contains too many redirects." If it's not too much trouble, could you direct me to some of your work?

[iranfromthezoo]

9/11 is a sad day for me. I didn't loose anyone personally but 343 FDNY firefighters were lost that day. Being a firefighter and losing nine guys in Charleston, I know how the other firefighters felt to come out alive. So I think about them every time I hear about 9/11. But because of those 343 guys, some 15,000 people were evacuated safely. Which reminds me of why I do this job.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by dpcnull 

Awesome! I suspected you did. I have always been interested in that field and hope that I might get creative enough to go into it myself. I'm great with PS but I just completely lack inpiration.

I'm on my iPod roght now and Safari keeps saying that the link shown in you user profile "contains too many redirects." If it's not too much trouble, could you direct me to some of your work?

Production Company for TV Commercial Production - Experienced Expert team
TV Commercials Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia - CMP Film and Television

[Ghoser777]

I notice the time 3:14 most days.

[ort888]

It means you are going to die.

[Tiresias]

This is known as the availability heuristic error.

Take the example, "The phone always rings when I am in the shower."

The phone not ringing while you are in the shower is called a non-event because you have no special reason to remember it. Over time, those rare occasions when the phone does ring while you are in the shower begin to accumulate, and stand out in relief against the invisible base rate of uninterrupted showers. That can lead to the illusion that it always rings.

Red traffic lights, slow elevators, and rainy weekends are other good examples.

[- - e r i k - -]

Yes. We remember the positives and forget the negatives.

This is why cold reading works.

[Kenneth]

You're not alone. That happened to me as well, but not limited to 9:11.

[Tiresias]

I get it with times like 11:11, 2:22, 4:44.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

Yes. We remember the positives and forget the negatives.

This is why cold reading works.

True. Like the Forer effect.

"You have a need for other people to like and admire you, and yet you tend to be critical of yourself. While you have some personality weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them..."

"That's so me!"

[turtle777]

Ironically, I get 7:11 all the time.

That's when I know it's time for a Slurpee

-t

[subego]

Worked on a project once where the key times in the plot were 3:10 and 4:30.

I've never been able to escape those times on the clock since.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by subego 

Worked on a project once where the key times in the plot were 3:10 and 4:30.

I've never been able to escape those times on the clock since.

Me neither

I have to live through 3:10 and 4:30 EVERY SINGLE FRACKING DAY.

-t

[xi_hyperon]

Blonde: "Excuse me, what time is it right now?"

Woman: "It's 11:25PM."

Blonde: (confused look on face) "You know, it's the weirdest thing, I've asked that question thirty times today, and every time someone gives me a different answer."

[turtle777]

-t

[subego]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

Me neither

I have to live through 3:10 and 4:30 EVERY SINGLE FRACKING DAY.

Consider yourself lucky. I do each of them twice

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by subego 

Consider yourself lucky. I do each of them twice

I found a sneaky way avoiding to do them twice. It's called a "good night's sleep"

-t

[subego]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

It's called a "good night's sleep"

So, you're talking something like 6 AM until about 2 PM.

<--- Sleep mask smiley.

[screamingFit]

My ex and I both, for many years, would look at the clock at 9:11. I know there's science and crap giving an explanation but it's still kind of creepy.

[dpcnull]

I try to refrain form using the word "creepy' inappropiately. It's more like "quirky."

[- - e r i k - -]

Or if you want to deflate his balloon even further, "coincidental".

[Madison]

For me, it's been 9:19 since I was about 12 years old. I made the mistake of mentioning it to a friend when I was about 18. He laughed it off. However, to this day, he sees 9:19 as well, and we're both 40 years old now

Tom

[Tiresias]

^ That reminds me.

Someone once asked me: "Doesn't it annoy you how, when your mouth is shut, you can feel your front teeth with the tip of your tongue?"

It didn't, but it has ever since.

Enjoy.

[turtle777]

Something odd happened to me today.

I looked at the clock at 9:10.

One minute later, (I swear), it was 9:12.

Isn't that amazing ? This must have been a rift in time and space.

-t

[Andy8]

Is that ante or post meridiem?

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Andy8 

Is that ante or post meridiem?

Not sure. Maybe I looked at the clock at 9:10 AM, and a minute later, it was 9:12 PM ?

-t