New Study Finds Music Can Alter the Way We Feel About Our Memories

Imagine if the way you remember a moment from your past was dependent on the music you were listening to at the time. It turns out this may be exactly how our brains work to process memories. As a Fast Company article this week notes:

“When participants listened to emotionally charged music while recalling the neutral stories, they were more likely to incorporate new emotional elements into the story that matched the mood of the music. For example, neutral stories recalled with positive music in the background were later remembered as being more positive, even when the music was no longer playing.”

The significance of this finding could be particularly useful when considering how to help people who are struggling with overwhelming negative or traumatic memories. Music-based interventions could offer relief and help with treatments for depression or other mental health conditions. Presumably there are also more intentional applications for any of us to think carefully about the soundtrack we choose during moments in our own lives where we are making memories we want to remember too.