Is there a deeper meaning behind constantly seeing the time 11:11?

[totallyclueless]

11:11--what does it mean?

Does anyone else ALWAYS I mean ALWAYS catch the clock at 11:11 or 1:11? It used to happen occasionally so it was obviously a coincidence and I just thought, "hmmm interesting." But now it's happening way too often and I'm starting to be freaked out.
Just this morning I woke up at exactly 11:11 without even planning it. It's random. And two nights ago I shut off the TV to go to bed and glanced at the clock, and it was 11:11. Even in my favorite computer game, The Sims2, the clock is always at 1:11 or 11:11!
I want to know maybe why this happens and what it could mean, if anything. I've read lots of things with various explanations ranging from pure coincidence that we simply remember more than usual, from "missions" that we signed up for in previous lives, to angels reassuring us, or spiritual awakenings or callings.
Personally I'd like to believe something mystical and meaningful is happening to me, but I can't help but tell myself that it's perfectly normal and I just remember the occurences, or that my internal clock has simply programmed me to glance at the clock at that specific time interval. Still it seems it should have some sort of meaning to it.

Also maybe I should mention that lately I've been looking at the clock and it's 9:11. It doesn't happen as often as 11:11 does, but it's weird because I was born at 9:11 PM, weighed 9 pounds and 11 ounces, and also 9/11 was the day of the terrorist attacks.

Also I'm kind of wondering why people seem to be noticing this MORE nowadays. Maybe it's nothing, but it'd be cool if it like meant something...

 

[totallyclueless]

Also, I think i should mention that this is only on digital clocks. Maybe it's just because I have more digital clocks than analog clocks or maybe it's because it's easier to look at or notice?

 

[Jelfish]

Perhaps you have a strongly habituated circadian rhythm.

 

[Pengwuino]

Well if you have more digital than analag... and since analogs usually require you to pause for a second or two to get an exact time.. its normal. I also foudn myself always seeing the clock at 11:11 too! Strange coincadence eh? But I realized it was no coincadence that i kept seeing it because I kinda removed myself from this whole coincadence idea and started noticing that I was seeing the clock at different times, just not taking note of it as much as I would if i saw 11:11. The idea that both our supposed 'coincadence times' are the same is kinda funny though!

 

[Chi Meson]

Does anyone else ALWAYS I mean ALWAYS catch the clock at 11:11 or 1:11? It used to happen occasionally so it was obviously a coincidence and I just thought, "hmmm interesting." But now it's happening way too often and I'm starting to be freaked out.
Just this morning I woke up at exactly 11:11 without even planning it. It's random. And two nights ago I shut off the TV to go to bed and glanced at the clock, and it was 11:11. Even in my favorite computer game, The Sims2, the clock is always at 1:11 or 11:11!
...
Also I'm kind of wondering why people seem to be noticing this MORE nowadays. Maybe it's nothing, but it'd be cool if it like meant something...

You poor sod!

You've just found out that you are a Sim3 character, haven't you?

 

[rachmaninoff]

A really strong case of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/confirmation_bias" ?

 

[Moonbear]

It means you spend way too much time looking at clocks to see if the time is 11:11.

 

[moose]

Every time you look at the clock, record the time you see... i mean EVERY time... should be a fun experiment. And then see which one shows up the most, etc

 

[totallyclueless]

No, seriously. I look at the clock the same amount of time as anyone else. It's weird stuff I tell you

 

[Anttech]

A friend of mine's father wakes up at exactly 5:20am everyday without the need of an alarm.. weird stuff :-)

 

[totallyclueless]

Every time you look at the clock, record the time you see... i mean EVERY time... should be a fun experiment. And then see which one shows up the most, etc

well then I'd look at the clock more than usual, just subconsiously, because I know I'm doing an experiment, so it wouldn't be accurate.

 

[Anttech]

then pretend to yourself you arent doing an experiement.. but do it anyway under the cover of not doing it..
Basically make yourself schizo for the sake of science ok?

 

[Mk]

I would think A and/or B:
A) Part of you mind notices its 11:11 and draws your attention to it.
B) You mostly remember only times when it was 11:11. Like now for instance, what time is it? Its not 11:11, so that's not everytime.

 

[Mk]

A friend of mine's father wakes up at exactly 5:20am everyday without the need of an alarm.. weird stuff :-)

If I intend on waking up at a certain time for an event, I can wake up at the right time, well within and hour of the time. 5:20 am ±1 hour

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

The phenomena of seeing 11:11 and 1:11 often is talked about on Coast to Coast from time to time. I'd say that the fact that you are seeing all ones is what catches your attention and makes you more likely to remember the event. When I was working on a register and looking at numbers on the register all day long I would start to see the same numbers cropping up over and over again but they would change. One day I would notice one set of numbers more often and another day I would notice a different set. I would then start to see the same ones from the register on my watch too (I use military time on my watch). I notice also that I tend to look at my watch or a clock rather often but not fully record the information in my memory unless the time really stricks me for some reason. I've noticed this because I often will look at my watch and have some one ask me the time right afterward and I'll have to look at it again to tell them.
Also be aware that just because the numbers crop up with frequency doesn't mean that they aren't random. You can take a set of six sided dice, throw them ten times, and have a certain number come up more times than not. If it weren't possible for this to happen then it wouldn't be truly random.

 

[hypatia]

ahhh synchronicity at its finest

 

[Pengwuino]

Yah, I bet you have people who are fascinated when they "keep seeing" 12:34!

 

[rachmaninoff]

Let's look at the times you people posted in the thread. Since we're in various time zones, let's just look at the minutes:
:54
:59
:02*
:05*
:10
:15
:18
:20*
:20*
:24
:26
:29
:35
:39
:02*
:04
:05*
:22 (me)
OMG! Look at all those patterns!

 

[Averagesupernova]

I always notice the clock say 11:34. Does that mean I'm satan or on my way to hell or what? Or maybe I just look at the clock a lot about a half hour before lunch time? Although I notice it at night too. Hmmmm.

The wierdest thing that has happened to me though is waking up at the exact same time the guy always wakes up at in Amityville Horror... right after I watched it. I was pretty young too. Strange I was able to sleep at all.

 

[tribdog]

I notice 12:34 all the time. I also catch 3:14 three or four times a day.

 

[Evo]

He has a point though. I know I see 5:55 and 3:33, etc..., but the times I've seen 11:11 stand out in my mind, several times in the past week as a matter of fact. Why is that?

 

[tribdog]

I always see 12:00, over and over and over. blinking on and off on and off. and every time I come home I see 1:17, but that's my apartment number.

 

[-Job-]

Remarkable, as i was reading this thread i looked at my alarm clock and it was exactly 1:11. Fantastic coincidence.

 

[rachmaninoff]

Already three posts here were posted at exactly twenty past the hour!

 

[Archon]

Here's an interesting coincidence: earlier today, I looked at the clock and saw 11:11, so I immediately thought of this thread. Of course, that's nothing special. But just now, I was reading through the thread again, and I thought to myself: "obviously this is stupid. If I look at the clock at random times, it's not going to show 11:11 or 1:11 an unusual number of times." Just to prove my point, I looked at my clock. It was 1:11.

 

[Smurf]

It's a sign.

 

[Mk]

Here's an interesting coincidence: earlier today, I looked at the clock and saw 11:11, so I immediately thought of this thread. Of course, that's nothing special. But just now, I was reading through the thread again, and I thought to myself: "obviously this is stupid. If I look at the clock at random times, it's not going to show 11:11 or 1:11 an unusual number of times." Just to prove my point, I looked at my clock. It was 1:11.

You know what would be fun? Every clock I see, I change the time to 11:11, then take out the batteries. Good way to get free batteries, and it freaks people out. Kill two birds with one stone.

 

[tribdog]

yeah, take those batteries out of all the digital clocks. people will think it is always 11:11, or they would IF THEY COULD SEE IT.

 

[Gale]

i only ever notice when its 6:66

 

[Moonbear]

i only ever notice when its 6:66

I might take notice of that too.

Oh, look at the coincidence! When I started reading the new posts to this thread today, it was 12:09, and now that I'm sitting here replying, it's 12:10, and I bet if I wait a few seconds longer, it'll be 12:11! How freaky!

 

[Archon]

I just looked at a clock and it was 10:11! The end is near!

 

[Math Is Hard]

This thread reminds me of a quote in the preface to Six Easy Pieces:

You know, the most amazing thing happened to me tonight. I was coming
here, on the way to the lecture, and I came in through the parking lot.
And you won't believe what happened. I saw a car with the license plate
ARW 357. Can you imagine? Of all the millions of license plates in the
state, what was the chance that I would see that particular one tonight?
Amazing!

 

[zoobyshoe]

This thread reminds me of a quote in the preface to Six Easy Pieces:

Oh my God! That's so weird! I just quoted the very same passage in a thread here about two and a half years ago!

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

11:11

Have fun...

 

[KingNothing]

This is PF, what are you doing polluting it with the most obvious, logical solution?

That said, 50 dollars on angels!

 

[rachmaninoff]

Posted at 1:11.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Posted at 1:11.

11:11 by my time zone. I hope that doesn't mean we're soulmates or anything like that.

 

[Dmstifik8ion]

Why is it I get an overwhelming urge to turn my clock upside down when it reads:

||:||​

 

[Mk]

Posted at 1:11.

Looks like 5:11 PM. Or 17:11

 

[rachmaninoff]

And now, 1:11 on the east coast.

 

[Mk]

Looks like 11:11 to me. Hope we're not soulmates or anything

 

[Moonbear]

And now, 1:11 on the east coast.

Nope, that was 3:11 on the east coast. East is to your other right.

 

[tribdog]

thank you. I thought I was going to have to reset my clocks or something. I'm in Arizona, but I could have sworn I was closer to the West Coast than the East until I saw my time matched rachmaninoff's east coast

 

[Cromben]

Dumb

Confirmation bias? Blah, blah, blah. You guys don't know what this is either.

It's all over the interweb. Some folks think it's angels, some think it makes us "lightworkers."

BAH! This is really starting to piss me off. I started this post unintentionally at 11:11 pm. Honestly, I don't care what science or the New Agers say, this is a very real phenomenon. Why would so many people see 11:11?

 

[binzing]

You poor sod!

More like his mum's the poor sod, she had a him at 9 pounds and eleven ounces,...ouch!

 

[russ_watters]

BAH! This is really starting to piss me off. I started this post unintentionally at 11:11 pm. Honestly, I don't care what science or the New Agers say, this is a very real phenomenon. Why would so many people see 11:11?

You posted at 00:14 -- in a two year old thread.

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

I don't get it either, lately when I wake up my clock is like... blinking 12:00 or something and when I log onto my computer to continue my work from the night before its just my desktop with all the applications closed. Creepy.

I still owe my dad $12.00 and I was born at midnight, I wonder...

 

[NeoDevin]

I would say that perhaps all your clocks are broken, and do in fact only display one time (or perhaps they alternate between 1:11 and 11:11?). If you know for a fact that your clocks are capable of displaying other times, then clearly it doesn't happen every single time you look at the clock.

Edit: oops, just realized this thread was necroposted

 

[Math Is Hard]

Confirmation bias? Blah, blah, blah. You guys don't know what this is either.

It's all over the interweb. Some folks think it's angels, some think it makes us "lightworkers."

BAH! This is really starting to piss me off. I started this post unintentionally at 11:11 pm. Honestly, I don't care what science or the New Agers say, this is a very real phenomenon. Why would so many people see 11:11?

For whatever reason, the time 11:11 has been made salient to you. It is readily "available" in memory, and appears to be related to the "availability heuristic".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_heuristic

The availability heuristic is a rule of thumb, heuristic, or cognitive bias, where people base their prediction of the frequency of an event or the proportion within a population based on how easily an example can be brought to mind.

When I first bought the car I have now, I started seeing that model everywhere I went. They were all over the place. But it wasn't because tons of people had gone out and bought that model, it's just that I just started noticing them where I hadn't paid any attention before.

If you'd like to discuss evolutionary advantages of human cognitive biases and heuristics, which is more at the root of your "why" question, we can do this in another thread. Meanwhile, I am closing this thread in an effort to discourage crackpots and "lightworkers" who might be attracted to it.