Full Idea
Russell suggested, in defence of an empiricist theory of time-awareness, that a sense organ goes on vibrating, like a piano string, for while after the stimulation. Thus we can see the movement of a second hand, seen in several places at once.
Gist of Idea
We could be aware of time if senses briefly vibrated, extending their experience of movement
Source
report of Bertrand Russell (An Outline of Philosophy [1927]) by Adrian Bardon - Brief History of the Philosophy of Time 2 'Realism'
Book Reference
Bardon,Adrian: 'Brief History of the Philosophy of Time' [OUP 2013], p.39
A Reaction
Hm. If they were vibrating the last experience, they couldn't pick up the new one. When something fast happens the brain resonates fortissimo! If your eyes are moving it will be different neurons that get fired at each instant.
Related Idea
Idea 22892 Experiences of motion may be overlapping, thus stretching out the experience [Bardon]