Neuroscience has shown that our memories do not stand alone like neatly stacked files. Instead, they cluster into constellations. Similar experiences fuse into unified sentiments. That is why a single song can bring back not just one afternoon, but a whole season of life.
This is especially powerful in what researchers, such as cognitive psychologist David Rubin, call the ‘Reminiscence Bump’; the period in our teens and early twenties (roughly 10 to 25) when experiences are most vividly etched into memory. During this time, our brains are particularly adept at forming lasting memories, which is why the music we listen to during these years often has a profound impact on us later in life.