Taylor Swift Induces Memory Loss in Her Fans: Post-Concert Amnesia

Chloe Cheng

As Taylor Swift announces her much anticipated Eras Tour concert dates, many fans are eager to get a hold of tickets and experience a night’s journey through her entire music career. From the lighting, sound system, visual effects, and impressive sets, many of those who’ve been to one of her Eras concerts describe it as “an immersive experience” and a “next level” show compared to her preliminary ones (McLaughlin). However, despite Swift’s promise of an unforgettable performance, many Swifties wake up the next morning struggling to recall last night’s proceedings, suffering from post-concert amnesia. 

Amnesia is a cognitive impairment causing memory loss of experiences or information (“Amnesia”). Although pop culture generally depicts amnesia as forgetting one’s identity, people who suffer from this condition often remember who they are but have difficulty committing recent events to memory. Amnesia can result from strokes, brain inflammation, seizures, or other neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, people who suffer from severe brain injuries may experience permanent amnesia (“Amnesia”). Memory impairment amnesia is different from dementia as it is not as severe; however, it could lead to similar effects such as trouble acquiring new information, obtaining memories from recent experiences, creating false memories, and confusing the chronology of events. 

People can be diagnosed with many variations and intensities of amnesia. A less severe variation of amnesia is transient global amnesia, a temporary episode of memory loss that usually does not lead to any significant perpetual impacts on cognitive functions. Dissociative amnesia is brief memory loss triggered by emotional trauma that can stem from PTSD or violent episodes in someone’s life (“Amnesia”). It is a rare form of amnesia and people who suffer from it forget the occurrence of certain experiences. Post-concert amnesia, an additional inclusion to the medical discussion, is believed to be triggered by overstimulation of the brain, leading to temporary memory loss. This phenomenon is particularly prevalent at concerts where a combination of flashing lights, loud sounds, and high levels of excitement overstimulate the neurons of the brain, which causes people to forget experiences during a concert (Steinberg). 

Overstimulation-induced post-concert amnesia occurs when stress levels increase due to excitation (Steinberg). When a person is excited, memory-related neurons begin to fire and glucose starts pumping into the bloodstream. The body starts to register the impression of stress, so it chooses not to waste energy on forming new memories (Steinberg). Consequently,  the amygdala, the brain region responsible for processing emotions, emits norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that marks highly emotional experiences to help the brain retain memory (Steinberg). While moderate excitement can strengthen memory retention, excessive excitement can, alternatively, stifle the brain from retaining memories. The overexcitement on top of the immersive experience of the concert at Swift’s Eras Tour explains why many fans experience temporary amnesia. 

Despite the high anticipation to experience an immersive experience at the Eras Tour, many fans find themselves struggling to recall the night they have been dreaming about. Vivid memories of the night are replaced with fleeting impressions as many fans are left frustrated, waking up the next morning with only fragmented recollections of what was supposed to be an unforgettable night. Post concert amnesia serves as a reminder of how powerful emotionally intensive experiences can be, that they can almost be impossible to grasp onto. 

Works Cited

“Amnesia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 18 Nov. 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amnesia/symptoms-causes/syc-20353360.

McLaughlin, Katherine. “The Intricate World-Building Behind Taylor Swift’s Most Ambitious Tour Ever.” Architectural Digest, 24 Mar. 2023, www.architecturaldigest.com/story/the-eras-tour-set-design.

Steinberg, Brooke. “Taylor Swift Fans Claim ‘post-Concert Amnesia’ Due to Bizarre Phenomenon.” New York Post, New York Post, 30 May 2023, nypost.com/2023/05/30/taylor-swift-fans-claim-post-concert-amnesia-due-to-bizarre-phenomenon/amp/.