Odd memory triggers?

[Tama]

Maybe everyone has this, but it bugs me.

Let's say that I used to watch a show when I was a kid. 15 years ago. There was a part of it that stood out to me then, but I forgot it now.

When I hear that same line from something else, I instantly remember the forgotten fact. Is this a typical occurrence for forgotten memories?

[firecat88]

Oh yeah. Happens to me all the time, especially with songs I haven't heard in ages. I just need to hear a few lines and suddenly I'm singing the entire thing word-for-word.

[Becks]

Happens to me all the time.

[LillFilly]

That happens to me too. I also get intense Dejavu from something I saw/dreamed/smelled years ago that suddenly happens to me, and it's like 'woah, I already saw/felt/heard/smelled this!'

[Merriweather]

Absolutely, it's amazing how the oddest thing can trigger hidden memories from decades ago.

I ordered a CD a while back, of a 60's band. It had one obscure song on it that had been played on the radio at the time, but I have never, ever heard on oldies stations - hadn't heard the thing since the 60's, I know. And first time I played it, I could sing along all the way through, LOL.

Having moved around all my life, hearing a song can suddenly trigger a memory of the place I lived when the song was played on the radio. I'm great at playing "when was that song on the charts", as if I think of the song, I think of where I lived when hearing it, and since I rarely lived longer than a year, if that, in one place I can work out the date of the song, LOL

Odors are good memory triggers, too. A year or two ago I found some Jergen's lotion at the dollar store, some sort of cherry/almond scent. First time I used it, found it actually smelled very, very almondy, and had instant visions of my childhood, and my mom - I'd forgotten the original Jergens hand lotions smelled of almonds, and my mother had used that all the time when I was very young. Til that point, if asked about any scents or anything my mom used, I'd have drawn a blank, but smelling that brought it all back.

Then just last night I was looking thru a couple of old cookbooks I picked up at a garage sale, and saw a cute little thing made for a child, some sort of Christmassy thing made with a canned pear half. And I suddenly recalled someone (have got to ask my older sister who) used to make cute little turtles for us, out of a canned pear and pecan halves - I know I haven't thought of those for 50 years, if someone had said did anyone ever make you cute desserts I'd have said no, they literally were not in my conscious memory til that photo triggered it.

I've always wondered how many memories I have just waiting for triggers - I do have a couple of spots I suspect of actually repressing memories, I have a few distinctive gaps in conscious memory. Might be best not to trigger those, I suppose.