Have you ever wondered why you can remember things from long ago as if they happened yesterday, yet sometimes can’t recall what you ate for dinner last night? According to a new study led by psychologists at the University of Toronto, it’s because how much something means to you actually influences how you see it as well as how vividly you can recall it later.
The experiments focussed on short term memories — that is, they evaluated the subject’s memories within the same day. If dreaming is also influenced by the level of emotion experienced, it may reinforce the consolidation of short term memories into longer term ones.