Taylor Swift Is Weighing in on Eras Tour Amnesia

Taylor Swift finally has time to think about the Era Tour—and she has a few thoughts. To get started: why did everyone start having post-concert amnesia?? IN recent interview Along with Stephen Colbert, Swift took a second to deal with the unexpected phenomenon that was originally reported TIME. According to the “All Too Well” singer, she always aimed for her concerts to provide a “feeling of escape,” but she never could have foreseen it.

“I didn't realize that it would *be* until you started hearing about people's experiences on the show, because I've spent my whole life trying to study how you can not just entertain people, but actually get them out of their problems, their lives, their stresses,” she told Colbert.

Then came the fan impressions. “They were like passed out with joy, and I thought, ‘Oh, man. I think this tour is different. This tour is different,” Swift said. But what is post-concert amnesia and are there any benefits to “switching off from joy”? Here's what we found.

What is post-concert amnesia?

When you see your favorite artist perform—and often spend serious money to do so—you hope the experience is one for the memory books. But many fans who were lucky enough to attend Taylor Swift's much talked about Eras Tour they said the experience was shockingly unforgettable. Not because Swift's performances were entirely boring; we've all seen enough clips to know that she's doing her best (and bringing some amazing unexpected appearances) for her three-hour shows. But fans report experiencing what is known as post-concert amnesia.

TIME first identified this phenomenon by talking to fans who reported having difficulty remembering Eras Tour set listwatched a video of a concert they attended without remembering what they saw and felt as if they had never been to the concert at all. And according to Evan McNay, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at State University of New York, it's not unheard of.

Why does post-concert amnesia occur?

Whenever people experience an overwhelming rush of emotions, they may have difficulty remembering the details of the event that triggered them. After getting married or engaged, graduating from college, running a marathon, having a baby, it's quite common for you to ask, “Wait, did that really happen?” after the event. “Worrying too much puts you out of control in terms of memory formation, and you can’t create memories,” Dr. McNay told TIME magazine. The chemicals your brain releases when you are overstimulated (from a positive or negative event) can ultimately interfere with your ability to create memories.

Are there any benefits to “joy switch-offs”?

In our opinion, there are two conclusions here. First, if you've ever been judged for whipping out your phone to record an important moment—be it snippets of a highly anticipated concert or a favorite dish at a restaurant you don't frequent—you may feel vindicated. Yes, it's always nice to try stay herebut when we're really excited, we can't always guarantee that our memories of the event will remain clear, so it's nice to have photos and videos with us. (Of course, you should always be mindful of phone etiquette, such as not holding your device directly in another person's line of sight.)

And secondly, those of us who couldn't get tickets for the Eras concert may feel a small modicum of comfort. At least we have video – as do many of the superfans who were actually there.

Mirel Zaman (she/her) is the former Director of Health and Fitness at PS. She has over 15 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, covering fitness, general health, mental health, relationships and sex, food and nutrition, spirituality, family and parenting, culture and news.

Alexis Jones (she/her) is the head of health and fitness at Popsugar, overseeing coverage on the website, social media and newsletters. With more than seven years of editorial experience, Alexis has developed a passion and knowledge in the areas of mental health, women's health and fitness, racial and ethnic health disparities, and chronic disease. Before joining PS, she was a senior editor at Health magazine. Her other original articles can be found in the magazines Women's Health, Prevention, Marie Claire and others.