Emotional Memories

Have you ever heard a song playing and you were transported back to a specific time and place, overcome with a rush of emotions and memories? Many different studies, such as this one, explain how memories and music are linked, thus music has the potential to store and trigger not only a basic memory, but the emotions wrapped up in said memory.

Sights/places and even smells and tastes can trigger memories as well, but there is something about music that is infinitely more powerful in bringing up emotional memories.

For me, there's one particular song that I couldn't listen to for quite some time after the big break up. Even now, years later, when I hear it I still feel a little gut punched. I remember the first time that I heard the song; I was somewhere, a restaurant, maybe a hotel bar/lounge, on a date with the guy the song later came to represent, well, him and our relationship.

It was a messy one, a relationship in which there were a few stops and starts. One where, in hindsight, we sort of knew we were wrong for each other, but neither of us were willing to call it quits. Not only did we often hear the song playing while we were together, it sort of became our story –– every single lyric applied to us. I think it will be a long time before I can hear the song and not think about him or our relationship/break up(s).

At least I no longer panic when I hear it. I don't feel slightly nauseous or start shaking. I don't get sad or angry anymore. I bet if I listen to it on repeat I could probably get rid of that rush of emotion it triggers, sort of like exposure therapy.

Places I don't normally go and I was first there on a date (with someone who mattered) will do this to me too, but in much milder version. Those memories are sort of, "Oh yeah, so-and-so took me here." Music just brings a tidal wave of emotions.

It's "Clarity" by Zedd, by the way. I know you were wondering.