Agency of Memory

There’s a wonderful podcast I listen to that features three Jungian analysts. They discuss psychological topics from a Jungian perspective, and I learn so much from them. I’m always amazed by how many clever, thoughtful, considerate, and talented people exist in the world.

Recently, they had a guest on who spoke about memory. This guest had studied memory and later turned her insights toward visual art. Even though everything she said was interesting—more than some of it new to me—what stood out was her discussion about taking agency over memory: both the memories we hold and those we can actively create.

For example, if you pay close attention to reading these words, you could consciously create a memory. Similarly, if you deliberately recall a past experience, you can influence how you remember it by highlighting specific aspects of the situation.

Say you have a memory of lying in bed while hearing your parents fighting. Naturally, the sound is frightening, and you feel threatened. But your brain has the ability to shift focus during recall. Instead of dwelling on the fear, you could concentrate on the warmth of your bed, the glow of your nightlight, or the familiar shapes in your room. This might sound highly stylised, but it illustrates how we can redirect our attention without changing the event itself. In doing so, we take some control over an experience that originally felt completely out of our control.

All of this made me think about how easily this kind of reframing can happen during hypnosis. You can work with memories that cause sadness or pain, and as those feelings soften, life can begin to feel lighter and more manageable.