Is a song bringing back your memories? Study says, it can alter the way we remember the past

The study observed that stories recalled with emotionally-charged music can create spaces for new emotions to be added.

Music and rhythm have a way of reconnecting us to our memories. From songs to tunes, it’s amazing how they can bring back the past to us, one musical tone at a time. We often associate our musical memories to the times we heard them or snapshots of the past. However, a recent study led by Yiren Ren, Georgia Institute of Technology states that music can also change the way we remember the past.

While music can trigger certain memories of the past, it can also alter the experiences of the existing memories. (Pexels)

Music and memories: How are they connected?

Music is not just an auditory experience. When we listen to music, the areas of the brain responsible for emotions and memory are also engaged. This explains why certain songs or music can make us emotional.

While music can trigger certain memories of the past, it can also alter the experiences of the existing memories. Hence, it creates new spaces for more experiences to be incorporated – in a way, changing the way we remember.

Findings of the study:

The study was conducted for three days. On the first day, the participants were asked to remember a neutral story. On the second day, they had to recall those stories with the backdrop of a positive music, or negative music, or sometimes silence. On this day, their brain activities were recorded by detecting changes in blood flow. On the third day, the participants were again asked to recall those stories, without the presence of music.

A song can bring back a thousand memories.(Pexels)

It was observed that when participants were asked to recall the stories with an emotionally-charged music, they incorporated new emotional elements to it. A strong communication between these emotional memory processing parts of the brain and the parts of the brain involved in visual sensory processing were also observed.

Hence, the researchers concluded that music can act as an emotional lure, intertwining to the memories and altering the emotional tone with which it is remembered. External auditory cues while recalling can also influence these memories to be more flexible, creating spaces for new emotional elements to be added.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.