It almost seems unworldly that the slightest ‘whiff’ of a familiar smell can bring back an avalanche of memories from the past. Perhaps it is the distinct scent of a perfume from someone you once loved, just as the sweet aroma of freshly baked banana bread always conjures up early childhood memories, singing alongside my grandmother at her living room piano. In a similar manner, sounds often elicit powerful memories such as the ‘clickity clack’ of an approaching freight train as its wheels pass over the rail joints. That mesmerizing sound still takes me back to my teenaged years when I would jog peacefully for miles and miles along secluded railroad tracks in the countryside of my hometown until the silence was broken by the rising pitch as the train drew nearer. Likewise, I cannot stick my head out of a moving automobile without flashing back to the sheer terror of standing on the wing strut of a small plane just before letting go during my first-time skydiving.

As we have learned, scientific discovery has welcomed significant advances in understanding the connections in the brain between sensations (e.g., smell, hearing, sight, taste and touch), emotions and memory (Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 2025). Certainly, these connections become central to our discussion here as we explore the memories that arise from hearing that favorite poem, song, prayer or any other inspirational verse that triggers emotional expression. Clearly, the neurophysiology of how the brain works is well beyond our scope here, but suffice it to say that we can explore why our favorite poems and song lyrics can elicit such powerful memories and associated emotions. 

In order to do so, I believe that we must first be able to identify the prevailing emotions that control our moods in any given situation and in order to do so, let’s first agree on a few definitions provided by the American Psychological Association’s (APA) American Dictionary of Psychology (VandenBos, 2015):

• Affective Science
  • The discipline, within the field of Psychology, that investigates the nature of feelings, moods, emotionally-driven behavior, and the underlying physiology and neuroscience of emotions. 

• Emotion
  • Any conscious mental reaction (such as anger or joy) subjectively experienced as strong feelings, usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body. 

• Emotional Expression
  • The process by which individuals communicate their internal emotional states to others both verbally (e.g., language, tone) and nonverbally (e.g., facial expressions, body language).

Of course, the so-called experts (Ekman, 2019) have wide-ranging views on what constitutes an emotion, and how many actually exist, ranging from as few as six, to a list of hundreds. As well, countless models have been proposed to distinguish emotions from each other based on intensity or based on grouping emotions in combination. However, again we are now well beyond the scope of our discussion here, so in the interest of presenting a reasonable consensus of professional opinions, I have chosen to separate emotional expression into six groups of two polar opposite emotions (i.e., NEGATIVE < – – – > POSITIVE) with the understanding that a continuum exists between the two.

Agreed upon List of 12 Basic Emotions

• SORROW                      < – – – >                         JOY

• DISGUST                      < – – – >                         ATTRACTION

• ANGER                       < – – – >                         AMUSEMENT

• ANXIETY                      < – – – >                         EXCITEMENT

• EMBARRASSMENT    < – – – >                         PRIDE

• JEALOUSY                  < – – – >                         GRATITUDE

As I share my life with you, beginning with my earliest childhood memories, I recognize that each of these consequential events can be viewed through the lens of (at least) one of these twelve basic emotions. Of course, the challenge is to make sense of those sensations that trigger our memories and associated emotions. Clearly, a familiar ‘scent’ or a fleeting image or perhaps a verse from a favorite song, poem or scripture can unleash an avalanche of unexpected and often unresolved feelings. The key is to identify and to be willing to take a critical look at those events, especially those that keep you ‘stuck’ and unable to move forward. The trigger could be related to the death of a loved one, or a failed relationship, or being passed over for college entrance, job or promotion or even something as commonplace as a disagreement with a friend that has caused lasting damage to a relationship. In any case, this effort will show you how to ‘do the work’ in order to find resolution and the joy that comes with regaining something in your life that has true meaning and value, like a friendship. Hopefully, it will help you find your version of enlightenment (i.e., awareness and understanding within) or redemption (i.e., forgiveness for ourselves or others). 

__________

Columbia University Irving Medical Center (2025). Why are Memories Attached to Emotions so Strong? [Web site]. Why are Memories Attached to Emotions so Strong [URL].

Ekman, P. (2019). The Science of Emotions. Oxford University Press.

VandenBos, G.R. (2015). APA Dictionary of Psychology (3nd ed.). American Psychological Association.