Hodges opens and closes the book with the same idea. Connecting our subjective experience of time with a revolutionary physics experiment, she concludes, "If you want to change the past, all you have to do is try to record what happened in it."
Do you agree? In writing this book, has she changed her own past? Has your perception of time, and creative possibility, changed since reading this book?
10. Can revisiting the past through storytelling actually change it?
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Our program is here to foster an inclusive, welcoming environment for all readers. To keep our community respectful and engaging, please follow these guidelines:
• Be kind and considerate to others.
• Stay on topic, keep discussions constructive, and use appropriate language.
• Trolling, spamming, harassment, or hate speech will not be tolerated.
• Share only original, non-copyrighted material and appropriate content.
• Do not post or share personal details about yourself or others, including real names, addresses, or any other identifying information.
• Do not post anything illegal, threatening, or otherwise harmful.
• Moderators reserve the right to remove content or suspend users who violate these guidelines.
• Users are responsible for their own posts, and our platform is not liable for user-generated content.
• Report issues instead of escalating, and respect moderator decisions.
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smkelly
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2025 7:35 pm
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erebus
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2025 5:03 am
Re: 10. Can revisiting the past through storytelling actually change it?
I tend to ascribe to the common wisdom, that humans best understand our experiences through the narratives we tell about them.
As a reader I note that a reread of a once new text brings to light things that I had not picked up on the first look. I think we are continually adapting to our social interactions and our environment, that each time we recollect a story even our own narratives about an event can change the values we associate with that.
The essence of both comedy and tragedy is juxtaposing things in unfamiliar ways. Our experiences and the flow of time accommodate new feelings and ideas, and so make our experiences dynamic.
A dog by the roadside means nothing... A dog by the front gate of his house, when he has been missing for 5 months, is a moment of sympathetic jubilation.
When you hear a song you listened to in a distant chapter of your life, it used to mean one thing and may now evoke nostalgia, shame, relief that you have put those influences behind you..
And when your experience is painful or incomprehensible, and you have no way to express or process it, finding ways to explain or sort ideas can be incredibly healing. That's the essence of "talk therapy" and EMDR and similar things.. that don't work for everyone, but can be very valuable therapeutic tools. Human connection, and expressing something to a receptive listener, seems to me to be how humans work best.
As a reader I note that a reread of a once new text brings to light things that I had not picked up on the first look. I think we are continually adapting to our social interactions and our environment, that each time we recollect a story even our own narratives about an event can change the values we associate with that.
The essence of both comedy and tragedy is juxtaposing things in unfamiliar ways. Our experiences and the flow of time accommodate new feelings and ideas, and so make our experiences dynamic.
A dog by the roadside means nothing... A dog by the front gate of his house, when he has been missing for 5 months, is a moment of sympathetic jubilation.
When you hear a song you listened to in a distant chapter of your life, it used to mean one thing and may now evoke nostalgia, shame, relief that you have put those influences behind you..
And when your experience is painful or incomprehensible, and you have no way to express or process it, finding ways to explain or sort ideas can be incredibly healing. That's the essence of "talk therapy" and EMDR and similar things.. that don't work for everyone, but can be very valuable therapeutic tools. Human connection, and expressing something to a receptive listener, seems to me to be how humans work best.
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schacpet
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri May 16, 2025 3:59 pm
Re: 10. Can revisiting the past through storytelling actually change it?
Yes, storytelling can influence your past - at least your perception and interpretation of it.
Our memories are not fixed, objective records, but are constructed anew every time we tell or think about them. This means that how you tell your story - which details you emphasize, which you leave out, what meaning you give to events - influences how you see your past and how it shapes you.
Our memories are not fixed, objective records, but are constructed anew every time we tell or think about them. This means that how you tell your story - which details you emphasize, which you leave out, what meaning you give to events - influences how you see your past and how it shapes you.