When you watch movies, sometimes there are scenes that try to capture a character’s memory. Unless it’s one of those cerebral or sci-fi movies where the supposed memory is actually something that is going to happen in the future, the memory revolves around events that took place in the past. To distinguish those past recollections from the other scenes in the movie, the memories might be depicted in black and white, sepia or sometimes, color. Fuzzy color. But those are just movies. What about real life? Are our memories in color, black and white or sepia?
I think the short answer to that question is “it depends.” Some people have stronger memories than others, and people remember past events for many reasons. A person might remember a happy time in his life, for example, attending a birthday party, or an unhappy or painful event such as having your provisions or textbooks stolen in secondary school. Depending on how deeply rooted that memory is, a person could remember vivid details like taste, smell, color or emotions. Certain things can even trigger such memories, for example, the scent of perfume.
I believe that the parts of a person’s memory rendered in color are details that made a lasting impression on that person, or details that one cannot forget because they were repetitive. For example, one can expect a typical Nigerian, even if he or she hasn’t eaten Nigerian food in ages, to remember that the color of stew is red, and not green like Thai green curry or this Okra soup. Being that different types of stews make repeat appearances on the weekly menu in many Nigerian homes, it’s not surprising that this is one detail a person would remember in color.
Memories are like photographs, and sometimes videos, if we consider a sequence of events not just a snapshot in time. I think it’s safe to say that memories in color are more deeply rooted in a person’s mind than say memories in black and white or sepia. What about you? Are your memories in color, black and white or sepia? Please share!
P. S. Happy February!
*Image Source: Pexels
I’ve googled and asked my psychiatrist and my therapist:
Why is a traumatic memory of my abusive stepfather physically attacking me and abusing my mother in black and white? I had to call the police and it was the last time I saw my mother alive. He murdered her. No other memory is in black and white. Actually white and faded grey. Who can give me an answer?
I have the same thing happen with my traumatic memories, perhaps it’s the brain trying to make it less scary, or its trying to repress it? Those are just my guesses, I hope you have a happier life, and I’m so sorry.
Possibly, adrenaline is responsible for black and white memory but, if the occurance memory was before the 70s when most people were watching TV in black and white, that could be the cause. I don’t remember if the Roadrunner and Wiley coyote cartoon was black and white or color. I’m thinking that memory was created during a time when I had watched that cartoon in black and white and color. God bless you! I would think your memory in black and white makes the memory less vivid. Trying to forget or unsee something may be the brains way of helping you not relive it with all of the emotion as it was too much too stressful and the brain is trying to help you reduce the stress as a coping skill
I’ve had memories of flying on a plane and being driven away from a family (could have been mine) but from the point of veiws I was at I was still a child but when remembering both I feel sad and in the memory of the car I feel abandoned as smiling faces wave as I’m being driven away and I want answers.
I feel the memories stay faded because our minds want to forget them but they hurt to much to leave