1.3 Memory and Senses “The smell and taste Memories relating to an event are scattered across the of things remain brain’s sensory centres, but marshalled by a region called poised a long time, hippocampus. ready to remind us… Our senses don’t only help us to experience the world but the immense edifice remind us of significant in our lives. of memory” A SONG, THE RAIN FALLING WHILE TRYING TO SLEEP Marcel Proust That explains why a familiar song or a former lover’s perfume has the power to conjure up a detailed picture of past times. The Proustian Effect “Cues encountered in everyday life that evoke recollection of the past without conscious effort” “Walking through the street distracted by my thoughts and memories, I have caught a whiff of something, a bakery invaded my nose with a perfume of steaming cookies. “ “Suddenly, rather than being on a street in my city, I was in the house playing hide and seek, while my mother was cooking” send me to the world of memories (positive/negative) “ I used to write for you, now I write to the moments that went by you” 22