That's Sensational!

When I hear certain songs it automatically transports me to another time and memory. It only takes a few bars of a tune to bring me back to high school, dancing with my daughters in the living room, or a special occasion. It's not just auditory stimulus which triggers memory either. Even a particular smell will quickly bring back memories of my grandparent's house, the fires of 1998 we had to evacuate from, or many nights walking on the beach. These are just a few reminders of the incredible power of our senses to trigger vibrant retrospection.

All of our senses create memory pathways and can be used to navigate those trails again when activated. I think we often fall back on the most predominant one--our sight--and neglect to sharpen our other senses. This takes a conscious effort to use all we have at our disposal and not rely simply on what our eyes perceive. I think we'll find our other faculties are actually more powerful for triggering and forging lasting memories. Engaging all of our senses will develop a richer experience we can recall more readily if we are willing to work at it.