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How Music Can Reconnect You With Your Past

Using songs as a reminder of who you are.

Jon Hawkins
Curious
Published in
5 min readApr 26, 2023

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Photo by Ross Sneddon on Unsplash

When we’re surrounded by a train full of people, our headphones can take us to a different place and time. And when we’re in a busy coffee shop, songs can help us focus and be productive.

We all have our own private collection of songs that we default to in these moments. Some of us love blasting rock music on our morning commute, while others prefer the relaxed melody of jazz.

But why are we drawn to different types of music? For years, psychologists have argued we are drawn to music that triggers memories we are emotionally connected to. More recently, it has been used as a tool for helping sufferers of dementia to reconnect with their past.

For most of us, it’s obvious that music can bring back memories. But in what ways? A February 2023 study has provided invaluable insight into how this phenomenon occurs.

“Music replays the past memories, awaken our forgotten worlds and make our minds travel.” ― Michael Bassey Johnson

A Blast From the Past

More often than not, the music we choose triggers memories of autobiographical events. That’s the conclusion of the 2023

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Curious
Curious

Published in Curious

A community of people who are curious to find out what others have already figured out // Curious is a new personal growth publication by The Startup (https://medium.com/swlh).

Jon Hawkins
Jon Hawkins

Written by Jon Hawkins

Asking questions, seeking answers. I write articles which help you better understand the universe and your place in it.

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