So one time, I was on a bus and this guy next to me was very bored and said “When the bell rings, the time will be 10:30 am…DING!”, “When the bell rings, the time will be 10:31 am…DING!”, in a robotic voice.
At first I was confused. I didn’t know what he was talking about. Then I stared at him and I could just feel a wave of nostalgia. A very distant memory almost forgotten came back. I’m 7 years old, bored at home with nothing to do pre-internet. I call a landline number that has a service that tells you the time and just listen in… that’s exactly what the telephone lady would say. OMG he’s imitating the landline time service lol
It felt very satisfying too. It’s like a eureka moment but for memory rather than thought.
Anything similar happen to you?
I heard smell is particularly good at bringing back memories, sometimes even in Alzheimer’s patients.
To me it’s hearing that seems the strongest, especially music.
I can still remember the smell of the gravel paths in my gradparent’s garden when it was raining. Oddly specific memory, innit? No other smells that I “remember”.
Music takes you back to the days that you first heard it, often precisely detailed and exact. From there, the rest of your life is available.
Agreed. For me, music takes me back to the place I was at when I was listening to it, especially when I’m traveling. I can recall specific situations in other countries where I traveled to just by hearing the songs I was listening to at the time.