The Power of Memory: Embracing Proustian Moments and Navigating the Echoes of the Past
Have you ever walked past someone, and in an instant, it feels like a certain phase of your life has just rushed by?
Moments from the past seem to rush by quickly, triggered by the fragrance they are wearing, or the taste of certain foods that your mind has unconsciously linked to that chapter of your life.
If you've ever experienced this sensation, you've had a Proustian moment. This moment occurs because certain smells and sounds are tied to significant life events, whether joyful or tragic. These moments can be so intense that they momentarily shake and pull you out of the present and immerse you in the past, sometimes even overwhelming you.
Proustian moment is when memories come flooding your mind involuntarily, after being triggered by sensory experiences. For Lombion, Bechetoille, Nezelof, and Millot (2012), this trigger happens because the olfactory system is closely linked to the brain regions responsible for processing emotion and memory—the amygdala and hippocampus. As a result, the sense of smell has a strong tendency to evoke vivid memories. Certain scents can transport us back to specific moments in time, whether they are cherished or traumatic.
Perfume has that effect on me. During my time at boarding school, from my late adolescent years through my early teenage years, I was surrounded by a lot of fragrances. There were as many different scents as there were people, from strong, overpowering ones to delicate, subtle aromas that made you want to inhale them all day. With early exposure to diverse fragrances, my mind has deepened my connection between smells and the various phases of your life.
Whenever I have a Proustian moment, the memories are always so real, that sometimes I would have to pause for a while to get myself together. Till date, I hate the smell of burnt rubber because when I was about ten years old, my uncle's wife was murdered by a drunk driver, and that incident caused significant upheaval in the community. That day had the pungent smell of burnt rubber because there was an angry mob that took matters into their hands; burning tires and shutting the road down. So, for me, till this day, my mind associates the smell of burnt rubber with death. An agonizing one at that. Traumatic right? Yes, I know. It’s incredible how our senses, particularly smell, can unlock such vivid and often emotional memories.
As human, a part of our brain has the duty of linking scents, odours and fragrance to events and time. And the memories we have of the events carry meaning that would lay bare to our mind for as long as our mind can hold. And that’s is just our body and sense organ doing its job, reminding us past events and how we felt about it and reacted to it.
What to do with Proustian moment
Really, there is nothing much to do with Proustian moment because they are a part of life you have grown through, it is in the past. You are no longer physically in that space even though a part of you carry that moment. Coping with powerful memories, especially those tied to traumatic events, can be challenging. Would be sharing with you some strategies that might help you manage these Proustian moments more effectively:
Accept the memory
Proustian moments occur because you have lived through that particular moment before. Either good or bad, you can’t discard that phase of our life, so allow yourself to feel them. Those memories are part of what make your unique story. When you have such moment, it's important to acknowledge it rather than suppress it. This doesn't mean you have to dwell on it, but permitting yourself to feel the emotions associated with the memory can help you process it more healthily. So, accept the memories Proustian moment brings, they are testaments of what you survived, endured, or enjoyed.
Keep the fragrance handy
If the Proustian moment brings a positive memory, you might find comfort in having that particular scent or trigger accessible. It can be a way to intentionally bring back those memories when you need a mood boost or a sense of connection to your past. Maybe
Talk to someone about it
If you go through a Proustian moment, and it makes you remember those experiences that bring you so much pain and hurt, it could be a sign that you need to talk to someone about it, if you have not done so before. Have solid social support. If you have someone you are comfortable sharing things with, and you have shared your experience with that person, you can always tell them about your Proustian moments. Sharing your experience with someone you trust can help lighten the emotional load. Generally, social support is a great part of healing and coping, words from them could serve as encouragement and would also solidify your belief in yourself and reassure you that the nightmare experience is over. Proustian moment is also a thud on your mind to reveal to you a part of you that needs to heal, traumatic experiences, and memories that need healing.
Accept your past: It is not to forget those moments but to accept that you have lived those moments, and recognize their role and the influence they have in your present life.
Celebrate your journey: Reflect on how far you’ve come since those moments. Even if they were challenging, they contributed to your personal development and resilience.
Build positive associations: Consciously creating new, positive experiences around certain triggers can help diminish the strength of the old memories. For instance, if a particular scent is linked to a difficult memory, you might try to associate that scent with a relaxing or joyful activity instead.
Journal! : Keeping a journal can be a powerful tool for processing emotions and memories. I started journaling actively in 2021, and it has had a tremendous positive impact on my mental health. Writing your experiences, feelings, and reactions can help you make sense of them, understand patterns, and gain new perspectives.
In summary, Proustian moments are reminders of your journey through life—the good, the bad, and every other thing that is part of your journey. When you accept these memories, you can continue to grow and heal, while using your past as a foundation, and this allows you to be present in daily activities.