I’m on the train, and the doors are shutting behind me…
““I’m on the train, and the doors are shutting behind me, when I smell the smoke; or rather I’m stepping into the train, towards the seating area, when I sense something bad, and I don’t know what it is, and I sit down, and I see that the doors are shutting, and I don’t know yet where the bad feeling is coming from, because when you smell something it goes straight to your memory, smell bypasses all analysis, as Proust described when he bit into the dunked cake and was transported to his childhood, and only later realized that this was because of the smell of the cake, the madeleine; I step into the train, and feel the bad feeling, the ominous feeling, that something is very wrong, it’s the memory of fires, but not good fires, and I sit down in the seat, and the doors close, and then I realize that I’m smelling something, and it’s burning rubber, or plastic, or oil, or a mixture of all three, and I shift upwards in my seat, already knowing it’s too late, because the doors are closing; have closed.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Smell triggers vivid memories, influencing perception and emotion, especially in stressful moments
In simple terms: Smell instantly recalls past experiences
Key Takeaway
Mindfully manage sensory triggers
Themes
memory
senses
emotion
Mood
introspective
uneasy
Type
narrative
psychological
When to use this quote
- travel
- therapy
- creative storytelling
Key Concepts
nostalgia
anxiety
Questions to Reflect On
- How do scents affect your mood?
- Can you harness memory for healing?
A Different Perspective
Sensory triggers can be overwhelming