'If I find out sooner I'm not spending 400 euros», Ana tells ABC. A few hours ago this 23 year old girl 'met' her idol, Taylor Swift, after attending the blonde's second date at the Santiago Bernabéu. However, after experiencing what he considers “the event of a lifetime,” he remembers nothing at all. Just like her is Sara, who came to the capital alone from Seville last night. 'It's like I have amnesia. Have you ever sung 'Fearless'? I can't remember anymore”' he complains on the phone, returning via AVE from what he hoped would be a memory 'for life'.
If them, hundreds of 'swifties' They have said on social networks that they have no memories of what they experienced the night before. Without the videos they recorded and the friendship bracelets still on their wrists, They couldn't be sure they were there for the show..
This phenomenon is scientifically known as 'amnesia after the concert', and is influenced by the fan's excessive excitement to see his favorite artist. These generate a large amount of emotions and stimuli, which exceed the brain's ability to process information, that interprets what they experience tension.
“Stress itself is an adaptation mechanism that all mammals have and is far from a problem allows us to survive because it makes us realize a situation that endangers the resources that the system has to cope,” explains Amaya González, psychologist at the Official College of Psychology of Madrid. In addition, stress does not distinguish between positive or negative momentsSo a situation can be stressful for the body, regardless of whether the reason is a party or, in this case, a concert.
Prolonged stress over time
Furthermore, the 'swifties' have been preparing for months to attend the show, which implies invest time, money and worries about accommodation, transfers, clothes, bracelets, food, expenses… which for many people adds to the excitement of seeing Taylor Swift for the first time. “It is a situation of stress that continues over a long period of time which ultimately depletes the brain's reserves«says González.
Also keep in mind that Taylor Swift concerts are shows full of visual and auditory stimuli. Colored lights, fire explosions, wardrobe changes, very extensive choreographies and more than three hours of music that can overload the senses of those present. So many stimuli in such a short time causes the brain to blur many details from memory.
If we add to that the 'need' that some people generate to be able to do this record as much of the concert as possible, another load of responsibility and stress is added to the brain to get the best video or photo from the artist. Therefore, Prioritizing contact with the experience and the moment itself is key so that the experience is stored in memory. And in the end, Taylor herself is the one who sings, “Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it, you have no reason to be afraid,” offering in her own music the key to overcoming this problem. .
What music causes, it also solves
However, there is a possible solution for this. Such as Alzheimer's patientsIf a song is linked to a memory, it can help rescue it from the ocean of memory. One option that may work is listen again to the Eras Tour setlistand wait for this to trigger the memories.
On the other hand, González also calls for “patience.” 'The brain too needs time to process everything that has been experienceddon't panic if you have a lot of 'goals' in your memory from the concert. The normal thing is that after a few days they can still remember everything well,” the psychologist advises. Moreover, it has to be that way careful with this idea to expect a memory that records everything like a video camera. Memory is always selective and to retain long-term memories we have to think about repetition and contact the stimulus in different ways, which is not feasible in the case of a concert,” he explains.