Swifties Suffer Memory Loss After Attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Concerts
Many Swifties are experiencing a post-concert “blank space.” Fans of international pop star Taylor Swift have reported a lack of memory after attending Eras Tour concerts — with some saying they’re even forgetting chunks of her performance.
Experts at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey researched why concertgoers are experiencing blackouts after their big night out.
Linking Memory Loss to Transient Global Amnesia
Dr. Nathan Carroll, associate chief resident psychiatrist at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, linked the memory loss after concerts to a neurological condition called transient global amnesia (TGA).
TGA is a “rare phenomenon impacting memory,” the researcher told Fox News Digital. “Individuals who experience TGA will attend an event (like a concert, wedding or festival) and later report undeniable gaps in their memory,” he said.
This type of memory loss is different from normal forgetfulness, Carroll said. “For example, during the event, it may look like you’re acting normally and answering questions — but later, you may not recall some of your conversations,” he said. “Unlike other amnesias, memory loss is very limited, only lasting about a day, and people don’t forget [autobiographical] information.”
Risk Factors for TGA at Eras Tour Concerts
TGA can develop due to elevated blood pressure, strenuous physical activity, and emotional excitement, which Carroll said are all “theorized to temporarily impair the functioning of the memory center of our brain, the hippocampus.”
The researchers’ findings suggest that certain risk factors may make Eras Tour concertgoers more susceptible to TGA. These include lack of sleep, poor hydration, anticipation, and pre-existing anxiety or depression, Carroll said. Environmental risk factors include the intensity of the concert, engagement with the music, crowd-induced excitement, and a sense of surprise throughout the event.
Fellow researcher Dr. Soha Salman, attending psychiatrist at Hackensack Jersey Shore University Medical Center, said Taylor Swift isn’t the only pop star who’s causing this impact. “Because there’s been such an outpouring of reports of this amnesia from the concert, it seems as though it’s specific to Taylor Swift, when that’s not actually the case,” she told Fox News Digital. “There are similar reports from concert-goers who attended Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ tour this summer, as well as reports from Harry Styles’ concerts,” Salman said.
According to Salman, it’s understandable that so many Swifties experience this overwhelming phenomenon, as many attendees undergo intense nostalgia due to the Eras Tour’s throwback structure. “The emotional connection to her music may be one of the reasons fans are experiencing this memory loss,” she said.
Preventing TGA at Concerts
While there are no specific methods of preventing TGA, Salman recommended getting enough sleep and staying hydrated before a big event. “Another proposed mechanism of TGA is elevated blood pressure and the release of stress hormones,” she said. “By being mindful and taking deep breaths throughout the concert, especially during periods of heightened excitement, you can reduce the release of stress hormones.”
Research has revealed that cell phone use also has an impact on memory, so Salman recommended limiting screen time during an event. “By simultaneously trying to use your phone and watch the concert, you may overtax your working memory and affect your ability to store those specific memories,” she said. “Studies have also found that when we are recording something with our smartphones, we are relying on them to remember for us,” Salman added. “This could lead to poorer recall of the event later.”
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Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle writer for Fox News Digital.
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