Taylor Swift amnesia, the reason why you can’t remember her concert clearly

Look away now, Swifties. There are swathes of people getting tickets for your favourite pop star’s concerts and can’t remember a thing about them. But it’s not what you think. The term “forgettable experience” might not sound like a rave review, but many Taylor Swift fans can’t recall seeing the “Shake It Off” singer in action simply because they’re having too good a time. Has NFL star Travis Kelce had a similar dilemma?

The US leg of the 33-year-old’s Eras Tour came to an end in the second week in August, with a whole host of gig-goers recounting their hazy memories of her shows the morning after the night before on social media.

Swift’s Eras Tour “like an out-of-body experience”

Speaking to Time, New York resident Jenna Tocatlian revealed she had no recollection of Swift belting out “Better Man”, her personal favourite, at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. “If I didn’t have the 5-minute video that my friend kindly took of me jamming to it, I probably would have told everyone that it didn’t happen.”

Nicole Booz of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, meanwhile, described Swift’s gig in Philadelphia as “an out-of-body experience, as though it didn’t really happen to me. Yet I know it did, because my bank account took a $950 hit to cover the ticket.”

Is it worth splashing the cash for something we can barely remember, then? As it happens, yes, as the bottom line is that it means we’ve had a blast. Perhaps too much so.

The science behind why we forget Taylor Swift gigs

Also speaking to Time, Ewan McNay, an associate professor in the department of psychology at the State University of New York, explains that such amnesia can occur when we get too excited. “It can happen any time you’re in a highly emotional state. If you’re slightly on edge, with a little bit of excitement, you’ll actually remember better. But too much excitement pushes you over the edge in terms of memory formation, and you’re unable to make memories.”

The scientific, biological explanation is that when we get incredibly excited, our bodies react in the same way as when we are stressed. The body begins pumping glucose, which helps with brain functions such as memory, thinking and learning, into our bloodstream. When high levels are present, though, we use it to combat stress (excitement in this case) rather than form memories.

Our amygdala, the part of the brain primarily associated with emotional processes, releases a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine, which helps us remember things that have high emotional value. Only up to a certain point, however. Too much of a good thing and our brain, it seems, just can’t remember with how good that thing was.

Not remembering “a tribute to being in the moment”

Annoyed with yourself for spending a small fortune on an event you didn’t remember? Perhaps Robert Kraft, a professor of cognitive psychology at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, puts it best. “We don’t set out to remember our lives - we set out to experience them. Not remembering is actually a tribute to being in the moment and enjoying it.”

So, how can we ensure we both enjoy ourselves to the max and have an unforgettable experience? McNay suggests trying to get into a “semi-meditative state” (i.e. convince yourself you’re chilled out), or focusing on your physical behaviour (if you don’t scream, shout or jump around, your body will relax).

Although maybe it is Swift herself who can offer the best advice: “You Need To Calm Down”.