A controlled investigation into Subconscious Synchronization of Human Sleep-wake Behaviour with Real-world Time despite false Temporal cues

This study proposes a novel experimental framework to investigate whether the human brain is capable of aligning sleep-wake cycles with real-world time, even when conscious temporal cues are deliberately misrepresented. While prior research in chronobiology has established the importance of environmental zeitgebers such as light, temperature, and social cues in entraining circadian rhythms, the possibility of subconscious synchronization to external time—absent any detectable cues—remains largely unexplored. We describe a controlled sleep protocol wherein participants are isolated from all conventional time indicators and are shown a manipulated clock before sleep. They are instructed to wake up at a specific target time according to the fake clock. A pilot self-experiment revealed that the subject awoke at the correct real-world target time rather than the expected subjective time, suggesting a potential non-conscious temporal alignment. This paper outlines the theoretical basis, experimental design, and expected implications of such synchronization, with particular relevance to understanding the boundaries of human temporal perception and the possible existence of an internal mechanism that synchronizes to absolute time.