You're walking through a gift store. You smell the sweet scent of cinnamon and cloves, which makes you stop immediately. Your mind takes you back to a childhood memory of spending time with family during the holidays. It makes you smile and feel warm inside.
Do you know what you've experienced?
It's a Sense Memory.
A quick definition:
You take information from your senses.
This information triggers a memory.
This memory causes an emotional and physical response.
Keep reading to learn how sense memory can enhance your storytelling delivery.
Sense Memory is a Powerful Acting Technique
A sense memory is an effective tool used by the best actors and actresses to elevate their performances at a deep, emotional level. It's the reason why you sometimes have such strong reactions to the way that certain actors or actresses perform in movies, plays, or elsewhere,
Here's a short story from one of my acting friends.
An actor and actress are working together on an important play. The problem is that in real life, these two people hate each other's guts. They cannot stand being in the same room together. In this performance, they are playing the roles of people who love each other - a husband and a wife.
The more they practice, the more it feels forced and not genuine. It's not working at all. It's getting more frustrating for both of them. On the night of the performance, the actress hands the actor a bottle of cologne and asks him to put it on. He agrees.
Their performance is breathtaking. The sparks fly between the actor and actress. The chemistry is there and everything feels genuine. The audience is wowed. The actor is still in shock at the end of the evening. He walks over to the actress and asks her what just happened. The actress responds, "Well, that's my husband's cologne."
The actress channels a sense memory of her husband. Despite not liking her acting partner, by having him wear her husband's cologne she channels the memory of someone she loves and connects to that emotion during the performance.
WOW! Do you understand the importance of sense memory? It is a powerful reminder of the mind-body connection. If you are curious about other ways to channel the mind-body connection, read my blog about the power of visualization.
Channeling Sense Memory During Storytelling
It is critical to be in the right emotional state when delivering a story. In a previous blog, I highlighted that the way we communicate meaning to others is divided into 3 parts:
55% - body language (facial expressions, gestures, posture)
38% - vocal variety (speed, pitch, tone, volume, emotion, silence, pauses)
7% - words alone
More than 90% of your impact is left on the table if you only focus on the words alone. How you say the words and use body language must complement and amplify the words you say. Therefore, you should channel the right emotions and feelings through your voice, facial expressions, gestures, and more.
Ways to Create Sense Memories
To help you elevate storytelling impact and connect to your genuine feelings, be open to exploring your senses at a deeper level. Growing up with ADHD, all of my senses are an 11 on a 10-point scale. Go through these mini-exercises to recall your sense memories.
Document and reflect on any experiences that come to mind:
Sight: Look through photos and videos
Touch: Identify textures that you touch (e.g. blanket)
Smell: Sniff your spices List smells that you like or hate
Taste: The next time you eat a meal, document any tastes that you like or hate.
Hear: Pay close attention to sounds or songs you listen to
If you're stuck in your career and ready to strengthen your communication skills, get in touch with David Ghodsizadeh, the founder and storytelling coach at Storytelling 4 Success.
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