Memories are the invaluable things that we keep with us for the rest of our lives. They have the power to bring us back in time and experience the moment all over again. But what primes these memories? Let’s take a closer look.

Memories Are Primed By Emotions

A powerful factor for priming the memories we keep is our emotions. When we experience a certain emotion in a given moment, it can be linked to the memory of that moment and even strengthened. For example, if we were to have a very pleasurable experience and felt immense joy, that memory can be triggered by feeling even a hint of that same emotion.

Memories Are Primed By Association

Another factor that has an influence on our memories is association. There are times we can remember something just because it is linked to something else. For example, if we see a particular color, we can remember something else about it because it is associated with a particular time, place or event. This is why it’s so important to keep reminders of important things to help us remember them.

Memories are Primed By Triggers

We also use triggers to help prime our memories. Triggers are anything from reminders, smells, visual cues, or even music. These triggers can be used to help us remember something from the past that we would have otherwise forgotten. It could be a song from a movie we watched, or the smell of a particular food that transports us back to a time we enjoyed.

Conclusion

All in all, our memories are primed by emotions, association, and triggers. Being aware of these factors can help us remember things easier, and can even make some of our most cherished memories that much more special. Next time you want to remember something, take a moment to think about how you can link it to another experience or evoke an emotion for it to be more easily recalled.