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What’s a Madeleine Moment?

A madeleine moment is a memory that is triggered by a smell, taste, or sound, without conscious effort. The term comes from Marcel Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past (1913), where the protagonist tastes a madeleine and is reminded of his childhood.

Explanation

In the novel, the protagonist’s mother offers him tea and a madeleine. The madeleine brings back memories of his aunt Leonie, who would feed him madeleine crumbs on Sunday mornings.

The madeleine moment is a type of involuntary memory, which is when a memory is recalled without conscious effort.

The madeleine moment has been called the “Proust Phenomenon” by neuroscientists.

The madeleine moment can impact people on a deep level, and can make people question the objectivity of their memories.

Written with AI

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ABOUT AUTHOR
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Aishwariya Laxmi

I’m Aishwariya. I’m passionate about writing, reading, marketing communications, books, blogging, poetry and editing. I’ve donned several hats, such as freelance journalist, copywriter, blogger and editor.

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