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In Star Trek when one is transported, does it feel instantaneous regardless of if there is a need to store the person's pattern in the pattern buffer for any length of time? Is the sensation of transport instantaneous regardless of length of time between dematerialization and rematerialization?

NOTE: This answer is probably going to have to come from the expanded Star Trek media (prose novels, comics, etc.) as we don't really get a first person perspective from the shows/movies during transportation.

Valorum
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Monty129
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1 Answers1

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Yes, while transporting you have no perception of time. This is why Scotty still thought Kirk came to rescue him when he actually spent 75 years in the transporter buffer.

RIKER: I'm Commander William Riker, starship Enterprise. Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge.

SCOTT: The Enterprise? I should have known. I bet Jim Kirk himself hauled the old girl out of mothballs to come looking for me. Captain Montgomery Scott. Tell me, how long have I been missing?

However, we get some insights in how it is to be transported. In "Realm of fear" the camera "witnesses" the moment of de-materialization:

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In that episode, Barcley finds some of the survivors of the USS Yosemite "parked" in the transporter in a similar way Scotty saved himself 75 years before.

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Einer
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    This doesn't address the question of time dilation – Valorum Aug 02 '14 at 18:40
  • @Richard True. The way I read the question, it was only about the perception of time. And my answer is (in a nutshell): You don't have any. I just didn't read the objectively instantaneous / beam takes time to travel part into the question. – Einer Aug 02 '14 at 20:08
  • My issue with this answer is that human perception of time is very poor. Anything that takes less than .01 milisecond basically falls below our level of perception. – Valorum Aug 02 '14 at 20:15
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    Time dilation and the perception of time is the same thing. There is no perception of time, no time dilation. There can't be since all the mass is converted into an energy beam and if there is no mass, there can't be any time dilation. – Sulthan Aug 02 '14 at 21:34
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    @Sulthan - They are most certainly not the same thing. You and are are almost certainly experiencing differing amounts of time dilation right now, due to our relative positions on Earth. Just because something is imperceptible to a human doesn't mean it doesn't exist. – Valorum Aug 02 '14 at 23:42
  • @Richard The op uses the words "experienced" and "feel instantaneous". On those words I focused my answer. But I think you are right that a different interpretation of the question is possible. Maybe Monty129 should clarify that. – Einer Aug 03 '14 at 06:40
  • @Einer et. all, I've edited the question, apologies for the confusion. – Monty129 Aug 03 '14 at 14:39
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    In Scotty's case it may be that an extended stay in the transporter system causes short term confusion, since Scotty was present on the Enterprise B when Kirk was lost to the Nexus, and should have known that Kirk couldn't have came to rescue him. – Xantec Aug 03 '14 at 15:15