When we experience a highly emotional time in our lives — such as a wedding or break-up, childbirth or even major historical events like 9/11 — we tend to remember it for good. But why are eventful times more vividly recalled than the less notable days, weeks and months that slip from our minds?
A robust body of previous research has shown that the more emotional impact a memory has — either positive or negative — the more vividly we will recall its details and the more likely it will be stored in long-term memory.
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As study authors Lila Davachi and Elizabeth Phelps explained, “These new findings highlight the highly adaptive nature of our memory system and suggest that our memories not only can travel back in time to retrieve events from the past, but that it can update past memories with important new information or details.”
