The Science of How Songs Awaken Memories—The Difference Between Those Who Can Recall Memories and Those Who Cannot [Column] Science of Thought (No. 99)

The difference between people who can return to the 'past' through music and those who cannot

🧠 Three things you can learn from this column

• ① There is a clear mechanism in the brain and emotions for the phenomenon of awakening memories
  The functions of the hippocampus and amygdala, and the connection between music and emotions, strongly imprint memories.

• ② The difference between 'those who are revived by songs' and 'those who are not' is a difference in structure, not superiority or inferiority
  Differences in sensory dominance, life experience, and daily consciousness have an impact.

• ③ You surely have your own 'key to memories' as well
  Music, scenery, scents, words—each sense becomes an entrance to bring back memories.

🟨 Introduction | People who say they are 'revived by songs,' and I, who am not

1. [Introduction] A remark from my wife in the passenger seat

“This song brings back memories, doesn't it? It used to play all the time during our high school cultural festival.”
My wife said that from the passenger seat.

What was playing on the radio was Japanese pop music from the 1990s.
I certainly recognize it. The melody and lyrics are somewhat familiar to my ears. However, I honestly don't really have the sensation that my wife describes, where 'along with the song, the scenes and feelings of that time come back to life.'

It seems I am not the type whose memories are vividly awakened by songs.

2. [Simple sense of discomfort] That sensation is faint for me

My wife often says,
“When I listen to this song, I remember things from when I was doing such and such.”
Episodes like trips taken with friends or the way home from club activities come out one after another.
While I feel a bit envious, honestly, I have few experiences where 'memories are revived as a set with a song.'

Of course, it's not that I don't like music at all.
In fact, I often play music in the car, and there are several artists I like.
However, I don't really have the feeling that it is deeply connected to the milestones or memories of my life.

3. [Raising the issue] Why is it so different from person to person?

I find it mysterious.
Even when listening to the same music, some people have their memories strongly awakened, while others do not.

What is the difference here?
Is it just a matter of personality, the degree of interest in music, or is it related to deeper mechanisms of the brain and senses?

I have a habit of thinking in a factor-decomposition way whenever I encounter a phenomenon.
I break it down into various elements and look at how they combine to produce a result.
I feel that the phenomenon of 'songs and memories' this time can also be organized in that way.

4. [Preview] Unraveling the mystery of songs and memories through factor decomposition

The mysterious phenomenon where "songs awaken memories."
And the reason why this effect varies from person to person.

If we break this down into several factors—such as brain mechanisms, sensory types, emotional connections, and lifestyle habits—we might be able to see something.

With that in mind, I would like to explore the "relationship between songs and memory" this time.

Chapter 1 | The Mechanism of Songs and Memory: The Intersection of Brain and Emotion

1. [Brain Mechanisms] The Hippocampus and Amygdala, Which Govern Memory

It is said that human memory is primarily managed by a part of the brain called the "hippocampus."
When I first heard this term, I thought, "A horse?" but it seems it is called that because the shape of the brain resembles a seahorse.

"Hippocampus" means seahorse.

—Does it really look like one?

Well, looks aside, this hippocampus plays an important role in storing our experiences and events in the brain as "memories."

However, it is not merely a recording device for information.
For humans, memory only becomes a "living memory" when it is linked to emotion.

The command center for those emotions is the "amygdala."
When strong emotions such as anger, fear, joy, or sadness are triggered, the amygdala is activated, and the event becomes more likely to be firmly and lastingly established as a memory.

Incidentally, this "amygdala" means almond.
This, too, is named because its shape resembles an almond.

I suspect this refers to the state with the shell on, not the processed almonds we see and eat every day.

In any case, many "impressive events" and "unforgettable moments" are born as a result of the hippocampus and amygdala working together.

2. [The Effect of Music] Songs Are Bridges Connecting Memory and Emotion

Here is where music comes in.
Music, especially songs, is said to have the power to stir human emotions.
Fun rhythms, poignant melodies, and memorable lyrics.
These move the heart, stimulate the amygdala, and as a result, the events and situations of that time are strongly etched into the brain.

I think people like my wife, who say, "When I listen to this song, the feelings from back then come back," are exactly tapping into this mechanism.
Music evokes emotion, and that emotion pulls out the memory.
In other words, songs become "triggers for memory."

Especially during the period from one's teens to twenties, it is the time when emotions are most intense in life.
Love, friendship, setbacks, challenges—music that accompanied such intense times likely has the power to bring back the self of that time, even after many years or decades.

3. [The Time Capsule Phenomenon] When That Song Plays, Time Rewinds

We often hear people say, "When I listen to a nostalgic song, the scenery from that time floats before my eyes."

In psychology, this is called "Music-evoked Autobiographical Memories (MEAMs)," and in recent years, it has been gaining attention in the fields of brain science and geropsychology.

It seems it is also commonly referred to in simpler terms as the "time capsule phenomenon."

A song acts like a capsule that has sealed away memories, thawing the memories that lie dormant within a person.

Personally, while that sensation is a bit faint for me, it is not entirely foreign.
For example, the moment an old song I happened to hear playing on a train platform reaches my ears, I can sometimes vaguely recall scenes of my commute from long ago or time spent with friends.
However, it does not reach the level my wife describes, where it is "vivid and brings back even the emotions all at once."

4. [My own experience] What is the reason for it being faint?

What exactly is this difference?
As I wrote in the prologue, it is not that I dislike music.
But it seems the rate at which songs function strongly as a "memory trigger" for me is lower than it is for my wife.

As we have seen so far, the coordination between the hippocampus and the amygdala, as well as the connection between music and emotion, are said to be important for awakening memories.
If that is the case, it is no wonder that there are individual differences in the "strength" and "frequency" of that connection.

In the next chapter, I will delve into the reasons for those individual differences in a more factorized way.
I would like to consider the "structure" that creates the difference in whether or not a song awakens memories.

Chapter 2 | Thinking about the conditions for songs to awaken memories through factorization

1. [Presentation of the factorization model] Trying to calmly break down the phenomenon

"When I listen to a song, the past comes rushing back all at once."
When I hear about a phenomenon like this, I inevitably want to know the "mechanism" behind it.

Why does such a thing happen?
Why are there differences in how people feel it?

So, as usual, I will try to think about it in a factorized way.
In terms of this theme, it is like this.

I assume that the probability ($${R}$$) of a song awakening a memory is determined by the multiplication of multiple factors.

$${R = F_1 \times F_2 \times F_3 \times F_4 \times F_5}$$

Each factor is as follows.

• $${F_1}$$: Sensory dominance coefficient
  Which sense is dominant (differences in hearing, sight, smell, etc.)

• $${F_2}$$: Emotional intensity coefficient
  The concentration of emotions linked to the event, how strongly the heart was moved

• $${F_3}$$: Music Exposure Coefficient
  How familiar you are with music on a daily basis, and how much music is integrated into your life

• $${F_4}$$: Music Association Density Coefficient
  How much music was present during important moments in your life

• $${F_5}$$: Memory Retrieval Tendency Coefficient
  How much of a habit you have of consciously looking back on your memories

For people who score high on all of these, the past comes back vividly just by listening to a song.
Conversely, if any of these are low, the degree to which memories are awakened will also be weaker.

I would like to actually look at them one by one.

2. [Explanation by Factor ①] Sensory Dominance: It seems I am a visual person

First, sensory dominance.
While people seem to use their five senses in a balanced way, they actually should have a "strong suit."
Auditory-dominant people are sensitive to sounds and voices, and find it easier to retrieve memories using sound as a guide.
Visually-dominant people find that scenery and colors are better triggers for memory.
Olfactory-dominant people might have old memories come flooding back all at once due to a scent.

In my case, I am clearly a visual person.
Old memories sometimes surface as scenes.
However, if you ask me if I can recall in detail even the music that was playing in the background, the answer is almost never.
My wife is the opposite; she says that just by playing a song, the atmosphere and emotions of that time come back vividly.

Even just this "sensory difference" creates a considerable gap.

3. [Explanation by Factor ②] Emotional Intensity: Moments when the heart is moved remain vividly

Next is emotional intensity.
As I touched upon in Chapter 1, when strong emotions are stirred, the amygdala is activated, and that event is said to be deeply etched into memory.

Therefore, if music was playing during moments of joy, regret, or being moved to tears—those kinds of moments—the song and the memory are easily saved as a set.

My wife seems to have experienced intense emotions at every turning point in her life: student days, romance, friendships, club activities, events...
As for me, I might have been more of a "flat type."
I feel like I spent my days relatively calmly, and there were few moments when my heart was shaken intensely.

If the range of emotional fluctuation is small, the probability that a song will become a switch to awaken memories naturally decreases as well.

4. [Explanation by Factor ③] Music Exposure: How much music was integrated into daily life

The third is the frequency of exposure to music.
People who have been familiar with music since childhood and have a habit of listening to songs daily have, in the first place, more "opportunities for memories and music to be paired."

My wife loves music and says that at home or in the car, something was always playing.
She also tells me she watched music programs often.

In contrast, while I like music, it was only at the level of "background noise," and it was not that central to my life.

Even when studying, BGM was actually a hindrance to concentration, and I had a personality where I couldn't absorb information unless it was quiet.

I believe this difference in the sense of distance from music also influences how it connects with memories.

5. [Explanation by Factor 4] Music Association Density: Was there music at the turning points of your life?

How closely significant events and music are linked—let's call this "music association density."

For example, songs you listened to constantly while studying for entrance exams, the melody playing during your first heartbreak, or a song you happened to hear while traveling.

These "background tracks of life's turning points" become switches that trigger memories of those events later on.

When I hear my wife's stories, school trips, school festivals, graduation ceremonies... all of them have "the song from that time" as a set.
One could say that music was shared.

For me, there are few such vivid sets.

6. [Explanation by Factor 5] Memory Retrieval Tendency: People who consciously trace memories and those who do not

The last factor is the presence or absence of a "habit of looking back on memories."
The more a person introspects by thinking, "Things were like that back then," the more easily memory triggers work.

My wife is the type who often tells "old stories."
I tend to focus more on the "present" or the "future."
This also affects the thickness of the route for recalling memories.

7. [Examples of Individual Differences] "People who remember vividly" vs. "People who can only remember vaguely"

When broken down into factors like this, the difference between my wife and me can be explained structurally.

To organize it concretely, it is as follows.

• Differences in sensory dominance
  My wife is "auditory-oriented," and sounds or music easily become memory triggers
  I am "visual-oriented," and scenery or images become memory triggers

• Differences in emotional intensity
  My wife has a wide range of emotional fluctuations, and events are more likely to remain strongly in her memory
  My feelings are relatively calm, and the impression of events is more likely to fade

• Differences in degree of music exposure
  For my wife, music has been a part of her life and always close to her since she was a child
  I like music, but it is not the center of my life

• Differences in music association density
  For my wife, the songs or background music of that era are strongly linked to every turning point in her life
  I have few experiences where significant events and music are set together

• Differences in memory retrieval tendency
  My wife often recalls the past and has many opportunities to talk about it with friends
  I am strongly oriented toward the present and future, and have less of a habit of looking back on the past

When these factors accumulate, it is natural that there is a difference in the "degree of memory revival" even when listening to the same song.

8. [Structure, Not Superiority or Inferiority] Differences are "individuality," not "good or bad"

These differences are by no means a matter of superiority or inferiority.
Whether memories are revived by music or by other triggers, it is simply based on the blueprint of each person's brain and senses.

That is why I do not try to force myself to change just because I cannot vividly recall the past through songs.
Rather, I feel that understanding my own "way of recalling memories" provides a hint for experiencing life more deeply.

In the next chapter, I would like to delve into that difference more concretely, using my wife and myself as examples.

Chapter 3 | My Wife and I: How Our Memory Routes Differ

1. [My Wife's Type] People for Whom Music Opens the Doors of Life

Watching my wife, it is clear that her memories and music are strongly linked.
For example, when a song by an artist she listened to often in her student days plays on the radio, she immediately comes up with a specific scene, saying, "This song was playing when we all stopped by the convenience store on the way home from club activities."

Furthermore, it is not just the scene.
She says that the atmosphere at the time, the surrounding scents, the laughter of friends, and even her feelings back then all come back as a set.

Previously, when I asked in surprise, "Can you really remember everything as a set with a song?" my wife replied, "Yeah, it's not so much that music is a switch, but more like it's a part of that era itself."

Indeed, listening to her talk, it is clear that "background music" was naturally playing during various moments of her life.

2. [My Type] Memories Awakened by Scenery and Words

As for me, on the other hand, "scenery" and "words" are often more of a trigger than music.
For example, visual information, such as the atmosphere of a slope on my way to school or the color of the walls of an old station building, sometimes suddenly comes back to me.

Alternatively, I might suddenly remember a casual remark an old friend made, and the scene from that moment comes back to me.

However, I can almost never remember whether music was playing as a set with that.
Therefore, the feeling that my wife has, where "this song brings back my high school days in an instant," honestly does not resonate with me.

When I talk about this, people often ask, "Are you not interested in music?" but that is not the case.
I like music too. I don't dislike karaoke either.
However, I think that for me, music is "something that colors the scene," not the "core of the memory."

3. [An Episode of the Actual Difference] Even Though We Listened to the Same Song as a Couple

Once, while driving, a nostalgic song that was popular when we were students played.
My wife immediately said, "This song was playing the whole time on the bus during our school trip," and began to happily tell the story of that time.

As for me, even listening to the same song, the scene from that time did not come to mind at all.
While I was impressed, thinking, "Can you really remember that much..." I also felt a little lonely inside.

But, when I thought about it a little, I could vividly remember "the inside of the bus on my elementary school trip" or "the cityscape of Busan as the ferry entered the port" during my high school trip.
In other words, I have memories too. It is just that the "route to awaken them" is different from my wife's.

4. [The Interest of Other Triggers] There Are Things Other Than Songs That Awaken Memories

Everyone has several triggers for their memories.
In my case, my sense of sight is overwhelmingly strong.
When I smell asphalt after the rain, for some reason, I sometimes remember the road I took to school when I was in junior high.

Alternatively, seeing the colors of a summer sunset brings to mind the scene of the walk home after stopping by a public bath with friends on the way back from club activities.

For my wife, that trigger is "music," for me, it is "scenery," and for some people, it may be "taste" or "touch."
There are also those who are connected through "scent."

To put this in terms of factorization, it is simply that in my case, the factor of "sensory dominance" leans toward vision rather than hearing.

5. [Empathy Born from Understanding Structure] Knowing the Differences Broadens the World

By calmly organizing the differences between myself and my wife in this way, the "envy" and "wonder" I felt at first seem to have eased a little.

I have my own way of awakening memories, and my wife has her own way of bringing back the past.
Knowing each other's differences allows us to respect the other's senses.

What is most interesting is that the time spent discussing these differences as a married couple becomes a new memory itself.

In the next chapter, based on these "diverse blueprints of memory," I would like to summarize the role that songs play and the interesting aspects of life a little more.

Summary Chapter | Enjoying Songs, Memories, and Diverse Blueprints

1. [Affirmation of Differences] Ways of Awakening Memories Vary from Person to Person

Up to this point, I have thought about and organized the phenomenon that "songs awaken memories."
As I touched upon in the prologue, I am not the type to strongly experience that phenomenon.
However, there are many people around me, including my wife, who say, "When I listen to this song, those days come back to me."

In the past, I was a little envious of such people, and at the same time, I wondered, "Why don't I have that?"

However, as I organized it factorially in Chapter 2 and looked specifically at the differences between myself and my wife in Chapter 3, I realized that it was merely a "difference in structure."

Some people have memories awakened by music, while others have them awakened by scenery or scents.
It is not a matter of which is good or bad; it is just that each person's "blueprint of brain and senses" is set up that way.

The moment I realized that, I began to feel a little proud of my own memory style.

2. [The Utility of a Factorial Perspective] There Are Things You Can See When You Calmly Observe Differences

I think again that this "factorial way of thinking" is very useful when re-examining things calmly.
Even sensory phenomena have structures that become visible if you break them down into small factors.

In the context of this theme,
・Because I am visually dominant, scenery becomes a trigger for memory
・Because there were many periods when my emotional fluctuations were small, I have few intense "memory songs"
・Because I don't usually look back on the past much, it is difficult to open the drawers of memory

I am becoming able to accept such characteristics of my own as my "individuality."

Conversely, people for whom "songs are capsules of life," like my wife, simply have a different blueprint.

3. [The Role of Songs] As a "Key to Memory" That Supports Life

Thinking about it again, it is clear that songs have a mysterious power.
They act as a trigger to bring back forgotten emotions and events.
Sometimes, this can heal painful memories, encourage one's past self, or serve as a catalyst for connecting with distant memories.

Perhaps I have taken the existence of "songs" with such power a bit too lightly until now.
Even if I cannot experience it strongly myself, I feel I can now understand a little why they are so important to those around me.

And surely, I must have a "key to memory" other than songs.
Whether it is scenery, scents, or casual daily conversations, I intend to cherish my own unique triggers.

4. [Question to the Reader] What is your "key to memory"?

Finally, I would like to ask you, the reader, as well.

What is the "key to memory" for you?
Is it a song, a landscape, a scent, a taste, or perhaps someone's words?

By finding that key, you might be able to reconnect with an important part of yourself that you had forgotten, or with times from the past.
And by learning about someone else's "key to memory," which is different from your own, the world will surely expand even further.

5. [Something Like an Afterword]

By thinking through the theme of "songs awakening memories" and breaking it down into its factors, I have come to re-recognize my own way of feeling, even if just a little.

I rarely recall the past through music, but that is precisely why I believe I am connected to my memories in a different way.

And the fact that the way people awaken memories differs means, from another perspective, that there is a corresponding diversity in how people enjoy life.

If there is anyone who, like me, feels a little strange about "not being able to recall the past through songs," please rest assured.
Surely, your own unique "key to memory" is hidden somewhere else.

I would be happy if this column could serve as a small trigger for you to face your own memories.

Profile | Kazuomi Matsunaga

🧭Thinking Navigator

Biography:Graduated from Kyushu University, Faculty of Engineering (Materials Science) -> Engineer at a metal materials manufacturer in the Chukyo region (Production Technology) -> Advertising sales for a local free paper in Nagasaki Prefecture -> University staff member (<- currently here). A person in his 50s living in Nagasaki Prefecture. Both children have become university students and left the nest, and I am living with my wife. I am a writer who lets my thoughts play daily at the intersection of "questions" and "curiosity." Recently, I have been writing about my own unique perspectives on themes such as education, stories, psychology, AI, and design, centered on the serial column "Thinking Science" series. I am exploring "free design of knowledge" that goes beyond existing frameworks. My motto is "Imagination opens up the world."
In my professional life, while working in university and education-related fields, I value carefully observing "the moments when people come to 'like' something" and "scenes where questions sprout."
🧭 I would be happy if I could deliver articles that leave you with a "new perspective" after reading them.
📮 Impressions and messages of support are always welcome!