Many Swifties experience a “white space” after the concert.
Fans of international pop star Taylor Swift are reporting poor memory after attending Eras Tour concerts – some say they are even forgetting parts of her performance.
Experts at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey investigated why concertgoers suffer from power outages after their big night.
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Dr. Nathan Carroll, associate chief psychiatrist at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, linked memory loss after concerts to a neurological disorder called transient global amnesia (TGA).
TGA is a “rare phenomenon that affects memory,” the researcher told Fox News Digital.
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Taylor Swift performs on August 3, 2023 during the “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” on stage at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. (Getty Images)
“Individuals who experience TGA attend an event (such as 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.
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“For example, during the event it may seem like you are behaving normally and answering questions – but later you may not remember some of your conversations,” he said.
“Unlike other amnesias, memory loss is very limited, lasting only about a day, and people do not forget [autobiographical] Information.”
Harry Styles is shown closing his final “Love On Tour” show at Madison Square Garden on September 21, 2022 in New York City after playing 15 consecutive nights. (Angelica Stabile/Fox News Digital)
TGA can develop due to elevated blood pressure, strenuous physical activity, and emotional arousal, all of which, according to Carroll, “theoretically temporarily impair the function of our brain’s memory center, the hippocampus.”
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“What’s interesting is that concertgoers don’t notice the memory loss until after the event,” he said.
“Thanks to social media, there is constant communication and exchange of experiences online, allowing us to see patterns that we might otherwise have missed.”
“They actually experience TGA during the event but don’t realize it at the time.”
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The researchers’ findings suggest that certain risk factors may make Eras Tour concertgoers more susceptible to TGA.
Taylor Swift performs on July 22, 2023 during the “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” on stage at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. (Mat Hayward/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
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, excitement caused by the audience, and the sense of surprise during the event.
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Research colleague Dr. Soha Salman, an attending psychiatrist at Hackensack Jersey Shore University Medical Center, said Taylor Swift isn’t the only pop star to cause these effects.
Fans visit “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour on July 14, 2023 at Empower Field At Mile High in Denver, Colorado. (Tom Cooper/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
“Because there have been so many reports about this amnesia during the concert, it seems like it’s specific to Taylor Swift, when in reality that’s not the case,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“There are similar reports from concertgoers who attended Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ tour this summer, as well as reports from Harry Styles’ concerts,” Salman said.
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“Thanks to social media, there is constant communication and exchange of experiences online, allowing us to see patterns that we might otherwise have missed.”
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But, Salman said, it’s understandable that so many Swifties are experiencing this mind-blowing phenomenon as many participants feel deep nostalgia due to the retro structure of the Eras Tour.
“The emotional connection to their music could be one of the reasons why fans are experiencing this memory loss,” she said.
Taylor Swift’s passionate fans are known as “Swifties.” The feeling of connection at the pop star’s concerts releases adrenaline and cortisol – hormones that are involved in memory formation in the brain. (John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
Salman also mentioned that the feeling of bonding at Taylor Swift’s concerts releases adrenaline and cortisol – both hormones involved in the brain’s memory formation process.
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“The connection between heightened emotional states and the release of these hormones is one of the things we continue to research,” she said.
This type of amnesia doesn’t just occur after a concert, but can occur after any “physically demanding or emotionally arousing event,” Salman said.
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“We found in our research that there were reports of people experiencing similar amnesia after attending sporting events and weddings,” the doctor said.
There are no lasting effects or neurological deficits with the condition, Carroll added, which “helps distinguish TGA from more serious health problems that can lead to memory loss, such as a stroke.”
Beyoncé performs onstage during the “Renaissance” World Tour at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 29, 2023. (Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood)
“Still, it’s best to see a doctor if you have significant memory loss,” he said.
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A person suffering from TGA will show no signs of distress and “act, speak and behave normally,” Carroll noted.
It was only “a short time later, when I was asked about the incident, [that] “The person with TGA recognizes that they have memory lapses,” he said.
“These memory lapses usually disappear after a day or so.”
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TGA is much more common in adults than in younger people – typically older than the average age of a “Swiftie,” according to Carroll.
A clinical diagnosis is made based on an examination and symptom screening, he said, although some imaging tests, such as an MRI, can help confirm the diagnosis if necessary.
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Taylor Swift performs on July 22, 2023 during the “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” on stage at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. (Mat Hayward/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
Although there are no specific methods to prevent TGA, Salman recommends getting enough sleep and staying hydrated before a big event.
“Another proposed mechanism of TGA is increased blood pressure and the release of stress hormones,” she said. “Through mindfulness and deep breathing throughout the concert, especially during times of heightened excitement, you can reduce the release of stress hormones.”
Research has shown that cell phone use also affects memory. Hence, Salman recommended limiting screen time during an event.
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“If you try to use your phone and watch the concert at the same time, you may be overwhelming your working memory and impairing your ability to store those specific memories,” she said.
“Studies have also shown that when we record things on our smartphones, we rely on them to remember things for us,” Salman added. “This could lead to a poorer memory of the event later.”
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