Jun 2022
Listening to old music is like looking at a picture of your old self. I don’t mean literally ancient music, but everyone has songs that remind the of a certain period in their life. I mean that old music. It’s the same feeling as when you look at a baby picture of yourself and feel oddly connected to it because you know it’s yourself but it doesn't feel like yourself because you've changed so much. With music, however, it’s more intimate, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, sound is one of the best memory stimulants, after smell. It will remind you of life events and feelings these events induced better than a visual. Secondly, when you listen to this music, you aren’t looking at yourself, you are feeling yourself. You are hearing music that induces certain feelings, more specifically, feelings that were present when you first hear the song. Feelings influence thought processes and thus, you have the ability to transport yourself into the mind of your younger self. You don't only get to see the face of your younger self but you become immersed in your old self. It makes it easier to relive this fun, happy moments, but in the darker ones is where the true benefit lies.
It’s an amazing way to see your growth and connect with a younger self. This makes it a useful way to process trauma. After traumatic events or big life changes, we usually want to get out of the discomfort as quickly as possible. I am in the process of learning that leaning into the discomfort is more beneficial than avoiding it, as painful as that may be. However, in the event where I did not have the strength to do this, I found myself able to do this and learn from my pain by listening to the ,music I associated with that era of my life. Listening to that song or album over and over again, helps me not only process what happened but come to terms with it as well.
It also helps me track my growth. You know the way you never noticed your sibling(s) grow because you loved with them and saw them everyday? It is just as hard or harder to see your own growth, as you live in yourself everyday. When one has the ability to relive one’s old thought processes, one has the ability to see how different one’s current ones are. It s a wonderfully therapeutic experience. Nevertheless, I guess this might only work if you associate your life events with music and live with music 24/7.
It’s an amazing way to see your growth and connect with a younger self. This makes it a useful way to process trauma. After traumatic events or big life changes, we usually want to get out of the discomfort as quickly as possible. I am in the process of learning that leaning into the discomfort is more beneficial than avoiding it, as painful as that may be. However, in the event where I did not have the strength to do this, I found myself able to do this and learn from my pain by listening to the ,music I associated with that era of my life. Listening to that song or album over and over again, helps me not only process what happened but come to terms with it as well.
It also helps me track my growth. You know the way you never noticed your sibling(s) grow because you loved with them and saw them everyday? It is just as hard or harder to see your own growth, as you live in yourself everyday. When one has the ability to relive one’s old thought processes, one has the ability to see how different one’s current ones are. It s a wonderfully therapeutic experience. Nevertheless, I guess this might only work if you associate your life events with music and live with music 24/7.
