Memory Feel

[IndigoSensor]

This is something that is extrodinarly hard for me to describe, and to be honest, I have never really tried at depth before. It is a part of me (and I would guess for others too), so I feel like I should try.

I don't know how else to call it, but a "memory feel". Meaning, that different time periods of your life have a very distinct "feeling" to it. It isn't exactly an emotion, or a feeling in itself, but more just a nondescript memory. A memory of the past without having any thought attached to it. For me, this is tripped by a certain song, sound, music, and in rare cases a smell. I have found that I can call upon these "memory feels" by remembering a certain act that I had to do again and again during this time period.

There is no rhyme or reason to why one song or action will cause these memory feels to trip over another, but it seems like the strongest ones have some kind of sentimental nostalgic value to them. These things were first noticed along with a stronger emotion. The also seem to loose value and feel to them if the things that tripped them are used too often or regularly. Latencey periods strengthen them.

I also want to point out that this is different from nostalgia. Nostalgia often comes with this (but does not have to) in some ways magnifing or overshadowing the memory feel if the nostalgia is brought forward into your mind to much. These memory feels are simply how you remember a room "felt", not physically, but just the overall aura of it. Different time periods have different feels to them for whatever reason. The environment around you some how creates this symphony effect that melds every thing together into one feeling.

I can call on these memory feels readily. This is simply one example among dozens, and this one happens to be tripped by music. I am a very auditory person, so music or sound tends to have the strongest memory feels for me. This song trips the memory feel associated with me riding the bus in the morning during my junior year of highschool when it started to get warm, during the AP chem days. I haven't listened to it for a long time, so the trip gets set. I would listen to this song durring this time of my life alot. It has value to it. I can remember the emotions I felt durring this time, the way my body felt. The way I moved in the bus, the way things were, how my friends were with me. The entire memory feel covers around a month's worth of time, maybe a little more. All of these things during this time were seperate, individual. Now that time has passed, all of these things some how "melt together", they are all felt at once, weakly in each peice. It comes together and creates the entire memory feel. The time periods floods back to me and I can instantly remember everything that went on.

It is of a strange emotional state too. As I said nostalgia is often found with memory feels, but the two are seperate from one another. So the memory feel over all isn't an emotion. It is something totally different. It is felt in a different way then emotions are felt. Nondescript memories come back all at one; this falls into a new catagory of feeling and think of all it's own. It is a bridge between the two in a way. This might be why this is so hard for me to describe because there is nothing that describes this (to my knowlage) in exsisence.

Another interesting point is the latency period involved with memory feels. I have noticed that one memory feel doesn't really form until another one begins processing. I would guess at least four or five months need to go by before a memory feel becomes "Active". It is also interesting that I often can not really predict how a memory feel will come out. You would think that while you are experienceing a certain time of your life, you would easily be able to tell how it feels. Yet, it's impossible. In a way frusterating too. How the brain links certain events to certain triggers, and then how the brain fuses all the small things together to create the overall feel.

Forgive me for being kind of esoteric with this. It is extremely hard for me to describe this, so I apologize if I jumped over the place and was unclear. I know I didn't even come close to describing this to the full extent that I wanted to, but I tried the best I could.

So, do any of you guys experience anything like this? If so what is it like for you. If you don't is there anything that you experience similar to this?

 

[NeverAmI]

I have that very intensely. This is not exactly relevant to what you had stated but I also have "feels" of what a situation SHOULD be, this doesn't involve words, in fact, words often ruin it, it is just pure emotion.

Sometimes I have dreams where it isn't any one of the senses, not an internal vision, but rather an intense feeling that I remember. That feeling is what I remember, then I remember the details of the dream much like you describe your memory feels.

Sometimes I have dreams about finding the perfect person for me, and I feel complete peace; like total and complete unconditional acceptance and love. Sometimes I fly, and I feel total freedom. Sometimes I just feel a sense of total bliss overall.


I would say that feelings are the one emotion that I remember most from the past. When I think of/recall people, it is often a feeling that I recall even more than a face.

Sometimes with people I don't remember their face or their name, just a unique signature of feelings and facts.

VH had discussed how my "dreaminess" that I have sometimes could actually be my Fi/Ni interacting together if I understand what he was saying right.

 

[Morgain]

I don't know if I understood correctly what you where trying to say :becky:. You say that memories are connected with a certain feeling and a song or smell can trigger you in reliving that feeling and with that the memory comes up?

But if I'm correct in in that, than I do this all the time. That is how 90% of my memory is stored. Almost every memory from my past is connected with a certain feeling. I know how high school feels, how my previous work feels, ... When I dig up memories of high school I relive the feeling and the other way around, when I relive the feeling, certain memories comes up. That is why a lot of times I don't like to talk about that period.

A lot of memories and "memory feelings' are connected to songs are smells. when I here "unwritten" I relive my intership because that song was playing on the radio all the time. When I hear "Grace Kelly" from Mika I remember the period I was searching for a job because I listened to that song all the time. Or a smell, when I smell again the smell of my old job, I relive memories that I wouldn't be able to recall without the smell connection. A few weeks ago, when I entered the building of my job, it smelled exactly like the first weeks I was working there and imidiately I relived and remembered how I felt during that period. This also happens when I meat people who are connected with certain periods in my life.

It is hard for me to remember certain things but smells and songs make it easier to connect to those memories.

 

[IndigoSensor]

I don't know if I understood correctly what you where trying to say :becky:. You say that memories are connected with a certain feeling and a song or smell can trigger you in reliving that feeling and with that the memory comes up?

But if I'm correct in in that, than I do this all the time. That is how 90% of my memory is stored. Almost every memory from my past is connected with a certain feeling. I know how high school feels, how my previous work feels, ... When I dig up memories of high school I relive the feeling and the other way around, when I relive the feeling, certain memories comes up. That is why a lot of times I don't like to talk about that period.

A lot of memories and "memory feelings' are connected to songs are smells. when I here "unwritten" I relive my intership because that song was playing on the radio all the time. When I hear "Grace Kelly" from Mika I remember the period I was searching for a job because I listened to that song all the time. Or a smell, when I smell again the smell of my old job, I relive memories that I wouldn't be able to recall without the smell connection. A few weeks ago, when I entered the building of my job, it smelled exactly like the first weeks I was working there and imidiately I relived and remembered how I felt during that period. This also happens when I meat people who are connected with certain periods in my life.

It is hard for me to remember certain things but smells and songs make it easier to connect to those memories.

Yup, you nailed exactly what I meant, well almost. There is a difference. I often do not remember exactly how I emotionally felt, but how the overall environment was, and how that felt. This also highlights the distinction I wanted to make, these memory feels, or feelings, are distincly different from an emotion. I think because you have high Fi, you will retain these memory feels differently. Maybe that is also another distinct point. Cognitive function dominance might play a role in how these memory feels are formed, recorded, recovered, and recovered.

 

[dneecey]

I just love reading your posts Indy. And I completely understand what you're saying here.

One thing I was wondering, is do you ever have a feeling... a really good, or even just calm one that you want to commit to your memory. I have been trying this out lately when I am feeling whole, or well.. and I guess won't really even know know, or be able to tell until years from now if I'm going to remember them.

I will suddenly feel something I want to feel again, and it's almost like I draw myself out of the situation, trying to will it to my memory, so that maybe in a few years or many years, this moment will become a memory feel for me. Do you ever do that? Does anyone? Or am I just the weirdest weirdo?

 

[sookie]

I have this with songs and my adolence. I grew up in the 70's and 80's and I shall take you all on a journey through the timeless(or rather dated) sounds of the 70's (and 80's)

"Eye of the tiger" reminds me 7th grade class during Science time.
"8675309" reminds be of 7th grade class in Math
"Whip it" Reminds me of being on the bus going to bowling club at a local bowling alley.

I am trying to think if there are any more...
Oh how can I forget the 50's and 60's music of my earlier childhood. My father loved 50's music...


Runaround Sue-"My name is Susan and I used to run around in circles when I heard this song."


College also has songs and bands
Farenheit , 10,000 maniacs, Suzanne Vega, REM, U2, Sex Pistals, Peter Gariel, Kate, Sid Vicious and the Violent Femm's Bush....

9 inch nails

the list could go on but I need to get back to work Thanks for the dance down memory lane

Thanks for posting this!

 

[sookie]

"I do it all the time
Yeah, Yeah
I do it all the time
yeah yeah
I do it all the time

Time, time, time, time,time, time, time, time
ttttime, time, time time,
Ta Ta Ta time, time, time, time
Everything, Everything, Everything

I do it all the time,
Yeah, yeah"

Sorry for the terribly typed redition of a song that is so awfully, terrible
and good at the same time.

That is either the sex pistons or Violent Femm's
I cant remember the name of the song.

I would wonder if the name would have to be "Time," lol or "Do it all the time" or even "Yeah, Yeah"

 

[Morgain]

Yup, you nailed exactly what I meant, well almost. There is a difference. I often do not remember exactly how I emotionally felt, but how the overall environment was, and how that felt. This also highlights the distinction I wanted to make, these memory feels, or feelings, are distincly different from an emotion. I think because you have high Fi, you will retain these memory feels differently. Maybe that is also another distinct point. Cognitive function dominance might play a role in how these memory feels are formed, recorded, recovered, and recovered.

nope it is not an emotion. But your right, I store them different than you do. For me all memories are related to how I felt then. Therefore I have a lot of bad memories because during my adolescence I almost never felt happy :shocked:.

Dneecey,
Yep I have been trying too. I seem to be better in storing bad feeling memories than good ones. and feelings of wholeness or overwelming love doesn't stick as good, to bad. I remember them more with my mind. Like I know I had a very good experience but I can't refeel it in the same intensity. When I was in Jordan in de desert I spend time in trying to store the feelings I had, but during the time after my journey the memory faded away... to bad


NeverAmI,
You look so much like me!

 

[WellNoWonder]

I just love reading your posts Indy. And I completely understand what you're saying here.

One thing I was wondering, is do you ever have a feeling... a really good, or even just calm one that you want to commit to your memory. I have been trying this out lately when I am feeling whole, or well.. and I guess won't really even know know, or be able to tell until years from now if I'm going to remember them.

I will suddenly feel something I want to feel again, and it's almost like I draw myself out of the situation, trying to will it to my memory, so that maybe in a few years or many years, this moment will become a memory feel for me. Do you ever do that? Does anyone? Or am I just the weirdest weirdo?

I do this!!!!

The first one I can consciously remember is the summer before I started high school. It was actually early autumn because the teachers had gone on strike, and I really was dreading to start high school because I KNEW I would go through hell.

Anyhow, I was sitting on the stairs to my room, next to a window, and the sun starting shining on me in the weirdest way, like It and I were alone. It was an intense warmth, not burning me at all, and we communed like that for almost an hour.

That moment changed my life. I definitely knew I was not going to forget that and made a special place in my memory for it.

 

[IndigoSensor]

I just love reading your posts Indy. And I completely understand what you're saying here.

One thing I was wondering, is do you ever have a feeling... a really good, or even just calm one that you want to commit to your memory. I have been trying this out lately when I am feeling whole, or well.. and I guess won't really even know know, or be able to tell until years from now if I'm going to remember them.

I will suddenly feel something I want to feel again, and it's almost like I draw myself out of the situation, trying to will it to my memory, so that maybe in a few years or many years, this moment will become a memory feel for me. Do you ever do that? Does anyone? Or am I just the weirdest weirdo?

Yes I try and will things into memory now and then. Simply because I feel like it should become a strong memory. Interestingly enough though, when I do this it doesn't totally feel the same later when I tries to be recalled by a memory feel trigger. I think it is because my brain only likes things to be naturally done (much to my chagrin I might add, I try to force alot of things).

 

[Entyqua]

yes...this is the basis of how my memories are cataloged....I generally cant remember something unless I can associate the feeling...

Certain smells can spontaneously bring me to tears, while others just make me happy

 

[IndigoSensor]

See this is one branch of how memories are held for me. Memory feels are the most nondescript and loose, so I always feel the most perplexed by them, and they interest me the most on how they form.

 

[Outside]

I love this!!! You guys nailed this right on the head.

When I open up in those special moments, I take all this information in at one time, It's like a plant guiding its leaves towards the sun. I usually don't feel such a magnitude until I reopen it again, at the time, I usually don't notice it.

It's funny, I have many bad memories, but they are much cloudier, where I closed up. I have been trying to coax my mind to open up again, so I can better myself.

It feels like chapters. I think I have just finished one couple days ago.

 

[acd]

I think I know what you mean.

I experience the memory feel in certain weather. It may sound ridic to some people.. Sometimes the way the air smells or feels on my skin translates me back to a certain time in the past... only the emotions that were most powerful in me during that time period seem to flicker a bit in the present--a nostalgic twang er somethin.
Make sense?

 

[youhemmein]

Ahh...yeah. I experienced an overload of this over the weekend. Went back to a town where I used to live in high school, and had to sit and take it all in for a bit. It was kind of overwhelming. The smells, the air, the sounds. I felt the melancholy and even some of the joy for a few moments at a time.

 

[enfp can be shy]

I have memory feels too. After closer look, I wouldn't separate them from other types of memory, just they have more vague trigger, or more related to the centers of emotion.

Associations with past events often come in relation with specific smell. This one gets a strange dejavu feelings, like it's a state of the universe I've already experienced. Emotional memory is related with music patterns. They make me sometimes recall persons I love(d), and not because of any clear reason /like our special dance etc; no/.

Keep in mind, your thinking emphasizes more the associations that are unclear, you give them deeper attention.

My sight is perfect, I see details in long distances, I need no glasses. I'm a precise shooter. So my brain isn't motivated by this sense; it's not impressed by its input, as much. So my visual memory is worse. And pictorial imagination isn't my strong side. I'm not very fast reader, or should I just say that I'm a slow reader. It seems my brain didn't need to develop strong predictive qualities for this sense; the input isn't flawed and predicting and optimizing isn't necessary. As a result, I read every word a little too precisely, to become a fast reader.

On the other side, my abilities to smell and hear are not that good. I have trouble understanding people if their voice is too low. At chemistry classes I was the worse student to recognize substances by their smell. However, this motivates my brain, a lot. The best memory for me is auditory, and it's my major device for creativity. When I listen to music, I don't listen, I co-create it; my mind is always a dozen steps ahead. At the same time, scents hide the keys to full-scaled vivid recalls of the past. Therefore I conclude that the brain is more affected by the worse functioning senses, and turns them into its main motivation; treasures their inputs passionately, assigns them sharp data collections. Or at least that seems to be my case.

We clearly need to study more, and I hope to be alive to see these things very well explained. It is nice to see that other people experience similar memory feels. Thank you, Indy, for this thread.

 

[rainrise]

I don't know how else to call it, but a "memory feel". Meaning, that different time periods of your life have a very distinct "feeling" to it. It isn't exactly an emotion, or a feeling in itself, but more just a nondescript memory. A memory of the past without having any thought attached to it. For me, this is tripped by a certain song, sound, music, and in rare cases a smell. I have found that I can call upon these "memory feels" by remembering a certain act that I had to do again and again during this time period.

Definately true for me. i usually cannot remember the thoughts i have had during that period. the feeling dawns like a curtain and feels almost subliminal with a subtle intensity to it. i find that music and smells trigger them most, though if the ambiance of a location was similar to the one in memory then that too can have a profound effect on me.

There is no rhyme or reason to why one song or action will cause these memory feels to trip over another, but it seems like the strongest ones have some kind of sentimental nostalgic value to them. These things were first noticed along with a stronger emotion. The also seem to loose value and feel to them if the things that tripped them are used too often or regularly. Latencey periods strengthen them.

Yes. if these memories are exhausted, then they are degraded and tired to an ordinariness. i think this may be because they begin to be associated with whatever is presently happening during the time of recall, either covering, adding to, or obscuring the memory feel that was originally untampered.

I also want to point out that this is different from nostalgia. Nostalgia often comes with this (but does not have to) in some ways magnifing or overshadowing the memory feel if the nostalgia is brought forward into your mind to much. These memory feels are simply how you remember a room "felt", not physically, but just the overall aura of it. Different time periods have different feels to them for whatever reason. The environment around you some how creates this symphony effect that melds every thing together into one feeling.

Yes. it's hard to distinguish, or rather i have no wish to distinguish, the particulars of that feeling. i think this is so because this would take its value or significance away.

All of these things during this time were seperate, individual. Now that time has passed, all of these things some how "melt together", they are all felt at once, weakly in each peice. It comes together and creates the entire memory feel. The time periods floods back to me and I can instantly remember everything that went on.

There are periods in my life that have become categorized into memory feels that are quite different from one another. it's interesting because i don't intentionally categorize them and place landmarks on situations, emotions, thoughts, etc. and yet they seemingly become so without conscious effort.

this is particularly true involving periods where i am emotionally involved with another person as the memory feels pertaining to these periods are most intense and carry with them aspects of memory of which i may not have even placed much thought during that time.

for instance, i can readily recall the smell of cigarettes, the winter air mingling with the aroma of coffee, the perfume-like tinge of the bar i worked at accompanied by the thai food we served as well as the music we played there on saturday nights, late night rides in my friend's car and the chutney music we danced to at her house...all this seemingly interwoven into the emotions i felt toward that one person; the highs and lows of romantic attachment.

Another interesting point is the latency period involved with memory feels. I have noticed that one memory feel doesn't really form until another one begins processing. I would guess at least four or five months need to go by before a memory feel becomes "Active". It is also interesting that I often can not really predict how a memory feel will come out. You would think that while you are experienceing a certain time of your life, you would easily be able to tell how it feels. Yet, it's impossible. In a way frusterating too. How the brain links certain events to certain triggers, and then how the brain fuses all the small things together to create the overall feel.

oh wow! that's exactly what i was just describing...the part about not intentionally nor consciously being able to ascribe the memory feel...and not even knowing which events, emotions, thoughts, etc. may be associated with what.