The Psychology of Severance | Who You Are... Without Memory

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About this video essay:
A spoiler-free analysis of the show Severance, and several other pieces of media, that explores how our memory really works, how it relates to our identity and sense of self, and who we would be without it.
Chapters:
0:00 Prologue
1:10 Identity without Memory?
4:44 Episodic Memory
6:14 Semantic Memory
7:41 Interrelations
9:09 Explicit and Implicit Memory
9:18 Procedural Memory
10:21 Priming
13:16 Complicating factors
14:15 Identity beyond Memory
15:53 Nature Versus Nurture
18:23 Relating Ourselves to Ourselves
20:30 Cosmic Memories
Further Reading:
Like Stories of Old - The Complete Reading List: kit.co/likestoriesofold/readi...
10 Books that changed my life: kit.co/likestoriesofold/10-bo...
10 More books that inspired my thinking: kit.co/likestoriesofold/10-mo...
My Camera Gear: kit.co/likestoriesofold/my-tr...
Media included:
A Beautiful Mind; A Fantastic Woman; Beautiful Boy; Big Little Lies; Blade Runner 2049; Brokeback Mountain; Dead Poets Society; Devs; Dopesick; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Her; Inception; Knight of Cups; Memento; Moonlight; Paterson; Pig; Ratatouille; Severance; The Bourne Identity; The Matrix 4: Resurrections; The Perks of Being a Wallflower; The Secret Life of Walter Mitty; Voyage of Time
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Music:
Lights & Motion - Ghost of You
Dexter Britain - Time to Run (original piano)
Greg Thomas - Form
Dexter Britain - Dream Array
Dexter Britain - Voices in the Wind
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[@LikeStoriesofOld]

*If you want to support my work and get cool extra's like annotated videos with additional thoughts and reflections, Q&A videos and access to a private Discord server, check out my page on Patreon: **www.patreon.com/LikeStoriesofOld** Thanks!* Who here's been watching Severance? Are you enjoying it? :)

[@nathanielbecker7324]

That was EPIC...!!! HAIRS AMAZINGNESS...meow

[@mo45327]

I literally just finished watching the last episode 2 hours ago, and then one of my favorite KZbin channels publishes a video about it. Amazing!

[@smkh2890]

@@mo45327 last episode of what? where does he say which film he is talking about?

[@mo45327]

​@@smkh2890 The TV Show "Severance". The premise from the beginning, the terms "innie" and "outie", it's all from the show. I wholeheartedly recommend it!

[@smkh2890]

@@mo45327 cheers. I should have thought of it.

[@slowitdown5893]

The concept of this show is fascinating. The symmetrical cinematography is gorgeous as well. I haven’t seen a show at this level for some time.

[@MrVirtuezzz]

watch mr robot if you haven't!

[@sheikhabdullah873]

Agreed. If you don’t mind I'd like to point out that it also gave me Marvel's Loki vibes with the mysterious organisation, sci-fi and all. But I like Severance better because it's so grounded to the reality and so unique.

[@sheikhabdullah873]

If you haven’t watched that many great shows here's a few recommendations: 1. Daredevil 2. Breaking Bad 3. Dark 4. Dexter 5. True Detective 6. Hannibal 7. Sherlock 8. Cabinet of Curiosities 9. Love, Death and Robots 10. Wednesday 11. Westworld 12. Resident Alien 13. The Boys 14. Invincible

[@bakedspaghetti9220]

wedsday was pretty good, but idk if it holds up with this list…

[@user-in7bu8jk8v]

@@sheikhabdullah873 this looks like a netflix home page

[@LeoNickle]

I watched 9 hours of television so I could watch this 20 min KZbin video. I'm glad I did, the show was phenomenal. The finale itself was the most gripping, tense episode of TV I've ever watched.

[@wavingdragon]

You meant 20 minutes?

[@gennymikelle1956]

Woah and so was I! like I thought, the thumbnail looks intriguing plus I like Adam Scott. It really is worth it.

[@KiloPage777]

Me too lol! I was like let me watch it first. Now I can finally start this video wow

[@Vampress09]

same!

[@wayando]

Yeah ... I came across this video befor the show too ... Just finished watching the show.

[@Amazin11000]

I love this show can't wait for season 2, truly original.

[@MooShaka89]

I don't know what this is please tell me

[@A_Salted_Fishe]

​@@MooShaka89 Severance

[@manhattanvi]

Its insane I love it

[@tezzingtonsir28]

You have already watched season 2 but you can't remember

[@brittanystorey9460]

This takes the expression “ take your work hat off when you get home” and “leave your personal life at home” to another level.

[@wayando]

Am sure this was the entire pitch for the show ... Then they fleshed it out.

[@keiththorpe9571]

I've been fascinated by this show. How does one go about enslaving one's own identity? Simple, split the self into two parts, making one aspect of your identity live to do naught but all that dreary, soul-crushing, mind-numbing work.

[@alexsleepwalking6857]

This can happen inconscientiously in real life through same extent. For me it bothers me to see, what happens if some Inner kills some one?

[@soraiya2065]

We are already split it in the way we use language. e.g. "I got to know myself", "I wana find myself", "He should take care of himself". Who or what is the "I" that gets to know "myself"? This is indeed a fascinating topic.

[@SilverAlex92]

I have DID. Being the "work" personality kinda sucks, but it works, as I dont deal with any of the trauma bs my other dissociative parts do. Edit: My memory is waaaay better than what's shown here. Its just foggy between parts.

[@dogwalk3]

compartmentalization

[@johnromberg]

It's interesting how everyone seems to share that take, yet the plot of the show, as far as the main protagonist is concerned, is explicitly the opposite of that. He severs to escape pain in his life. That he gets paid for the several hours a day of respite is just convenient. He wants to numb his mind, by work if need be. And severance avails him of the ultimate mind numbing, a complete switching off.

[@twelvechimesitsmidnightpod]

I love horror, and I've been exposed to a lot of crazy stories, but this show/story deeply disturbs me, maybe more than pretty much anything else I've seen, much more than I expected. Being at work 24/7 with no respite and no way to escape, no way to meaningfully express yourself, is a literal hell. I've seen/read plenty of Sartre-type stories of hell, but this one I can relate to in a way I can't fully to other scenarios, and I'm filled with anxiety even thinking about Severance and its characters. I'm really having a hard time getting through the episodes, although I really want to know what happens. Wow, amazing storytelling!

[@Meraxes6]

Keep watching! The show gets more plot and character-driven later on, there’s less of that bleak helpless trapped feeling. I found the ending thoroughly satisfying, except that it’s torture to wait for season 2

[@twelvechimesitsmidnightpod]

@@Meraxes6 Thanks!! I will power through :)

[@nunyanunya4964]

I felt the same, except my terror was in thinking how far corporations would take a program like this. With all the do to make revenue and profit now, how much worse would they act if they knew they could have employees working without remembering it outside of work? I shudder at giving corporate America this level of power.

[@wayando]

Yeah ... Being stuck at work would be a special kind of hell.

[@CMDR_Verm]

It's re-assuring to read that I am not the only person totally creeped out by Severance, addictive viewing though it may be. A phenomenal series.

[@galengraziano7127]

Bro, so based on the title, this actually happened to me. I was hit by a semi truck and was hospitalized for two weeks. The concussion rendered me barely able to think; I could only react, there was a four-second delay to my answers and my filters were stripped away. I couldn't even hear my own voice in my head. Ultimately, I learned who I am when I can't think, what the three principles I rely on are failing all else. If you're curious, they were "truth, understanding and compassion."

[@Inanedata]

That's beautiful. Despite the tragedy that it took to find out. I hope that is most people's base instinct.

[@Jade-db1jx]

I got in a car accident a month ago...when I finally stopped from the intial crash I knew I had to call the police and my parent immediately because I may had just gotten a concussion and it'd only be a matter of time before I wouldn't be able to think clearly. (From previous concussion experiences) Shortly after the ambulance showed up I started to feel 'myself', my inner monologue, slip away. Shock also started to set in and every sound, light, and smell was amplified. I repeated over and over "I can't think" and reactionarily "it's so bright/loud". As someone with ADHD it's very bizarre to lose your internal thought/monologue, as this tends to jump around and think quickly. It'd be peaceful if it weren't for the usual pounding headache/brain fog that comes with concussions. It is as you say though, there is some authenticity to yourself when you lose your interal narrator/justifier/logical explanation. For me, I was cracking jokes even as I was getting scanned for interal bleeding and, compassionate. The other person in the crash was in an SUV compared to my smaller sedan and recieved no injury thankfully. That 14,000$ ambulance ride smarts though!

[@galengraziano7127]

@@Jade-db1jx that's interesting! I was knocked out immediately, so to hear what it was like transitioning through the loss of your internal narrator is fascinating.

[@aislynnmari]

r/thathappened

[@galengraziano7127]

@@Jade-db1jx I completely forgot to ask! How are you? How well are you recovering? Any lingering effects so far?

[@victorhugoeh974]

Having taken care of my Alzheimer's ill grandma for many years, this video touched something special in me. Alzheimer's desease took away many memories from my grannie's mind - or at least blocked her access to them. However, she filled in the gaps the best she could so she would still be herself, relating to the world outside of her head. She would change data or call you names which would seem coherent to her or plainly invent a story to make the world comprehensible for her. So yes, I concur with that last thought you express on the video: there's a part of our conscience that remains and is far beyond memories. One that can array thoughts and perceptions so that one can still be oneself - even if a bit changed. Excellent video.

[@clmclachlan]

While I was waiting bedside for weeks for my father to die of his stroke, some of the most fun I ever had was with the man in the next bed who had alzheimers. He was waiting for a place to open up in a care home. It was so much fun to interact with him, I felt like a child again. He was convinced he was on a train to somewhere and all his conversation was about the trip, the service, the train and the people. Just meeting him there in his reality and responding to him as if I was sharing it was so rewarding because he was truly grateful that someone else "got it" and didn;t try to correct him all the time. It was a real gift to me that lightened the dark days at my father's side.

[@victorhugoeh974]

@@clmclachlan I'm glad you gave yourself the chance to interact in that way with him. They need kindness and empathy and few people are open to give that to people in such condition. Sorry about your father. A hugh, man. Wherever you are.

[@geekdivaherself]

My grandmother's Alzheimer's doctor was so amazed that she had an immense degree of connecting to the world when her Alzheimer's had progressed so much. He'd never seen anything like it. But every morning Mom would go through a stack of papers with my grandmother: pictures, letters, how one related to the other and how all related to her. I think it took her 30 minutes each day, saying basically the same thing every single day. One of the last times I saw my grandmother alive, she caught at my sweater as I was about to leave. She struggled to make any sound at all. Then she stuttered and said, "Dear, please be sure to write." All her life we had either talked in person, when we lived with her, or over the phone. I'd written her one letter that was purposefully very simple in form, sentence structure and content. It was one of the things that my mother had gone over every day with my grandmother. My grandmother didn't know my name anymore but she knew she wanted to reach out to me and connect again, and that was the only way she knew how to say it. She didn't know who I was - well, not the way she used to, but she knew the letter writer was _me._ I never realized that until I wrote that sentence just now. I know that tomorrow I will call my mother to thank her. Maybe I should write her a letter to hold onto, as well.

[@anniealexander9911]

I was a psychology lecturer who used to teaches pre-honours and honours level long-term memory courses. I would have happily put this video in front of my students. Truly excellent work. Thank you

[@A_Salted_Fishe]

So I was in a motorcycle accident that broke my leg in many tiny pieces. I had to consciously learn how to walk again. Even now, 2 years later, I am still acutely aware of how I am walking, because I have chronic pain to remind me all the time. I am very interested in learning more about the association/relationship between pain and memory.

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

Sorry to hear about your accident, but what a fascinating experience.

[@A_Salted_Fishe]

@@eldorados_lost_searcher certainly keeps life interesting. I had to give up on many hobbies/passions

[@VARUN20X]

Sorry to hear that

[@sonkeschmidt2027]

It was a ski accident for me, broke my back. But I was lucky the only remaining pain was a result of muscle tension, so for the last four years I practiced Qi Gong für hours on a day and gained voluntary control over almost every muscle and fiber in my body. Now I can walk sit and stand very precisely and efficiently, it takes much longer to overstrain a muscle since I can distribute the load more easily and more fluidly. I can also leave any unused part in a deeply relaxed state, which helps enormously with regeneration and I never get pain from uncontrollable tense muscles. Your pain probably sits in the broken bones I assume? That's a very different story, I hope it is manageable?

[@A_Salted_Fishe]

@@sonkeschmidt2027 yeah, the bones. My ankle has been fused from the damage, so it's essentially "locked" in place. This means I'm unable to walk very far, can't run at all, and can't handle uneven terrain without a cane. The pain is usually not unbearable, but some days it is. Also sorry to hear about your experience. I'm glad that you have recovered

[@raquel_sza]

this show was SO THRILLING AND GOOD. the theme absolutely slays too

[@Sam_T2000]

this show is so complex… Milchick brings up “Mr. Eagan’s favorite breakfast” minutes before Helly is severed, in what may seem like small talk, but that very same factoid is part of the “intake survey,” presumably only hours or minutes after the severance first takes place. I’ve seen the show three times now, and this is the first time I’ve pick up on that particular line 👌

[@AsiaRose14]

As someone struggling with bpd, this hit close to home. I defintely have lost a sense of self over the years, i feel so fragmented and lost... it's extremely difficult to live with memory loss and with a lack of knowing who you are..

[@wishingwell_333]

as someone who has severe dissociation i felt like the title was speaking to me on a microscopic level. like i haven't neurologically lost my memories but i really genuinely forgot who i was for awhile, and i split so hard from reality i completely change, i go from numb to like. wired. it feels bizarre to like, know how intensely you're feeling but you're completely split off from it like you are possessed

[@samwellick1706]

@@wishingwell_333 can you explain it a little more if possible? I feel i can relate to that but I'm not sure

[@wishingwell_333]

@@samwellick1706 i can give it a try but it's fucked up for sure. idk i can be like falling apart inside emotionally and I know the feeling is there but i jus feel like im floating until i can find a way to make myself feel it. thru neurological processes i developed my brain to make me feel unsafe jus existing bc every time i realised i wasn't even me ..... jus scares me. so it's like you exist as a human shell of who you've been. your life is going on around you with your mind in another dimension. if you are not already familiar with depersonalization/derealization i would say u could do yr own research a bit , hopefully u find a solution w whatever problem yr having. don't get caught in webs of thinking. i wish u the best and hope it doesn't get any worse. my dpdr took over my entire life and ruined the way I think, act and feel

[@samwellick1706]

@@wishingwell_333 hey thank you for responding and I'm sorry you had to type all that out coz i feel it must've been really uncomfortable to type it all out. I gotta say, i feel exactly the same! It feels like i am just observing myself and i start questioning if i even exist, it is scary. And it doesn't just happen when i think about it, sometimes it just happens, i might be in the middle of something and suddenly i feel like I'm not myself anymore. I can't explain it exactly but i think depersonalisation/derealization describes it well although i will research more about it. Hope you are doing well now and wish you all the best to overcome this and live your life to the best you can. If possible please reply with some papers/articles i can look into that helped you too

[@NestorMandela]

CAUTION: In my opinion, this video essay is full of spoilers, so, if you're interested in watching the series "Severance" I'd stronly advice you to do so before watching this video. The series is great, so go watch it and then come back.

[@FearlesSLaughteR1]

Thanks

[@VersusThem]

Tbh, I watched it to the end and I have absolute 0 idea of anything at all lol

[@NestorMandela]

@@VersusThem if you don't watch the series you can't really judge if you have been spoilered or not as you lack context. But of course not all people are equally sensitive to spoilers.

[@dustinsmith1213]

@@NestorMandela I strongly disagree. If watching it without context doesn't tell you what's going on, you haven't been spoiled. A video that explores ideas also explored in a show isn't spoilers, unless they're explored in the exact same way, which is very much not the case here.

[@NestorMandela]

"But of course not all people are equally sensitive to spoilers"

[@mikebasil4832]

It’s amazing how our memories, thoughts and imaginations can be affected by the impacts of work. Even work at home. Severance is a quintessential reminder of that. Thank you, Tom.

[@lyxthen]

I have memory issues. My autobiographic memory is severy damaged, there are entire years of my life that I dont remember anything from, people that were important to me that I only have one or two memories of. I dont know what my home address is or what phone number is and it takes me a while to remember how old I am. It didn't really distress me until I told my parents about it. My "textbook" memory is pretty good I'd say, and what I remember of my life I mostly remember as "concepts" but not as things they actually happened to me (like the example of being born). Even then they are very rare and far between. I also have a hard time forming new memories (I dont remember what I had for breakfast). I dont know if it's my ADHD, or if I have PTSD or another kind of disorder. I do still have a sense of self, I know I am a trans man for example, which if you think about it is kind of a big deal in this context (knowing you're a guy despite everyone telling you you are a girl). So I do have an identity, despite being unable to remember 99% of my life in any concrete manner. I guess that's comforting? I don't know.

[@pixelbound8819]

I’m a bit like you. I don’t remember most of the past events of my life. What I remember, I know it the same way I know a fact I’ve read on Wikipedia. I can’t recall experiencing it, but I know it to be a fact.

[@mchjsosde]

Sounds like maybe you have a dissociative disorder, specifically dissociative amnesia.

[@rustyshackleford3939]

"knowing you're a guy despite everyone telling you you are a girl" lmao... and I know I'm an elephant, but everyone tells me I'm a human... damn oppressive society! lmao

[@strugglingproficiently7947]

@@rustyshackleford3939 L Rusty

[@dancing_fig]

@@pixelbound8819 what you and @Lyxthen have described sounds really similar to a thing that happens with aphantasia - folks in that community have termed it 'severely deficient autobiographical memory.' (However, my partner is an aphant, has a memory like this, and finds that name annoying. Having never known any other kind of memory, *they* don't find it to be deficient; it's other people who see it as being deficient.) This video was really interesting to me in large part because of what I've learned after working with folks with memory issues, and after talking with my partner about their aphantasia. Most of us do root our identity in our autobiographical 'story.' But there are people who never have, or who've had to adapt after brain trauma or something else has changed things. For people who have to adapt after a trauma, it can be really difficult and painful. However, for folks who've always been this way (and who haven't been shamed for it), it can just be normal life.

[@Inanedata]

"Is there a point where we can irreparably damage our relation to ourselves?" Yeah. I think so. I don’t think it's easy, or common, but I do think it's possible.

[@Akkodha-]

Sounds about right

[@samuraifencer]

This is much like when you are put under for surgery. You aren’t ‘numbed’ per se, but your brain’s recorder is turned off. So essentially your body feels ‘all’ the pain, and trauma, but the brain isn’t taking notes so it’s like it didn’t happen. So we basically ‘wake up’ with the brain coming off pause as if the surgery and pain never happened. It’s kind of fascinating, kind of horrifying. There was some other version of this show’s premise I saw, where a person was offered a million dollars for every year they spent in basically hell. But, at the end of the hell ‘term’ is erased so basically ‘didn’t happen’. Would a person do this? (Yes lol)

[@shinobiBUNK]

This is why I have some type of identity issue going on. People say just be yourself, be authentic. But you can actively change what that is. Should I be who comes easy to myself? Should I be what I think is right? Why do I think those things are right? Which leads me, inevitably, to the fact that personality and identity is an illusion. And now I'm stuck watching the human world around me like I'm an alien watching it through a screen

[@user-hy6cp6xp9f]

Not that this is any objective, philosophical answer, but I really think that you can be whoever you want to. All that matters is that you are happy, and that you genuinely try help other people. Within those limits, of the constant need to want to feel content, and of the social expectations placed upon you, you are generally free to be who you want to be. At the end of the day, you just exist. Most of the other aspects of your identity can be chosen, shaped, and selectively overcame. I don’t think that wanting to change or be different is bad, unless that desire hurts other people, or hurts you. That’s why a lot of this is just framing. If you want to lose weight, you can do so out of self-love, or self-hatred. In practice, you are doing the exact same thing. But one framing makes you feel good, while the other makes you feel bad. Why choose the framing that hurts yourself, and makes you hurt others?

[@vivvy_0]

are you implying identities are invalid? >:/

[@mutedroar]

I am right there with you man

[@lonewanderer_n7]

I always feel like if I were to try to change in any meaningful way that the people closest to me will think I’ve got split personality or something. Because sometimes I do try a bit but then revert back to my old self so the more I were to try I just feel like it’d only make it harder on me. I don’t want to have to explain myself all the time either. I’ve been such a quiet person for almost the last 5 years of my life and growing up I used to be way more energetic and funny and wasn’t that nervous around people. Now I can barely look at strangers. Sometimes though I feel like waking up and just doing a 180 and be who I want to be. Idk…I also can’t seem to articulate myself well enough here so I probably don’t even make much sense 😅 maybe someday I’ll finally feel free inside my own mind and can just…be.

[@CM-um8ef]

Life is basically roleplay, that’s just the absurdity of life

[@kareningram6093]

I'm definitely going to have to watch Severance. I tend to cope with trauma by not thinking about it, because it hurts too much to remember. The idea of amnesia appeals to me, frankly. If I could send a message to my "innie" I'd just want to know if she's happy. Because if she is, that means I was right. If she's not, then I'll know I'm on the wrong track, and that forgetting myself is not going to fix anything. I wish I knew.

[@MagdaK6]

You should definitely watch it!

[@Meraxes6]

I’m not a doctor and don’t know your situation, but if you don’t deal with trauma it always, always comes back around to bite you. It affects you on a level deeper than memory, at least to some extent

[@JasminMiettunen]

@@Meraxes6 definitely, you can never truly forget about it. The only way to get over it is go through it, preferably with a therapist. I didn’t talk about my trauma for years and had severe depression and anxiety, talking about it was hard as fuck, but after that I've been able to leave it behind, piece by piece. I'm still working on some things, but I'm happier than I've been in ten years. I can assure you that even if you don’t remember or think about the trauma, the inner you does. She exists on a level in your subconscious and she remembers everything. Those things affect her, and so they affect you too, even if you don’t realise it.

[@dancing_fig]

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. (And if you're watched the show, I hope that it's helped and/or been enjoyable!) I wanted to follow up on Jasmin's comment about therapy to offer an additional suggestion - EMDR is a type of therapy that can be used to process trauma where you *don't* have to talk about the traumatic memories. You do have to think about them, but you don't have to delve into any details with the therapist (which for me was always an 'oh FUCK no' proposition). When you first look into it, it can sound rather cockamamie, but it's been backed up with a lot of double-blind studies and is now embraced by the VA for PTSD, among others.

[@danthornton6373]

Hey man...My dad died of Alzheimers 2 years ago and this just hit me so hard in the feels that I'm weeping like a baby. You make very moving scripts come to life my man, massive respect for this work here, and all your work, which is *healing*. Thanks for all you do. Really top work.

[@Kindred1a1]

Im a neuropsychologist who works with older adults who have dementia and let me tell you, when semantic knowledge starts to go, it's fascinating to see, while being sad. Especially seeing the impact it has on their loved ones

[@tajthehuman6312]

I've never seen a single episode of this show, but this is one of the most incredible videos I've ever seen.

[@russellst.martin4255]

With only one season, this show has already made it into my top 5 all-time.

[@melvinbrand9697]

As a psychology student, I thoroughly enjoyed this video! I'd love to see more videos where you delve into certain areas of psychology by using movies and series as examples :)

[@MintRye]

I feel like this everyday, I can’t ever explain to any who I am without acknowledging the most basic, my name, age & what a like, but again I don’t think any of that defines who I am or how I want the world to perceive me.. it’s hard because we grow up, being taught things without ever being taught who we are or what and what doesn’t work for us. We are forced to figure all that out in the “real world”. I wish schools would create a class called “Know about youth”, get to understand yourself better at a younger age which could most likely lead to easier and better understanding of who we are as individual students, children & adults.

[@A_Salted_Fishe]

Love that you used footage form Eternal Sunshine. What a beautifully sad film.

[@dvhughesdesign]

One of my all time favorites. Just watched it again last week. One film I keep going back to again and again.

[@smoadia85]

to work in such a place in severance, is also to invite severe abuse as a consequence which practically can't have repercussions. you can't sue them if you don't remember what was done to you.

[@Mr_Case_Time]

I love how well a very simple sci-fi concept was executed. The ramifications of severance were laid out so well, and in a way that kept me saying, “I didn’t even think about that!”

[@teapotsoup2851]

I would be broken if every memory of my work self was removed. So much of my life has been spent at work, so many Essential moments that built who I am. So many relationships I've had, that changed or saved my life. I would never choose to not have those memories. I worked in aged care for 12 years, I worked closely with so many people with dementia, who wouldn't remember their family members when they visited, whose memory slowly degraded, eaten backwards through time. But when their family visited, and showed them love, that positive emotion carried forward through the day, it made their care easier, made them more comfortable. I always tried to make residents laugh as early as I could in the day, because it always improved their whole day, even a little. You are impacted by your entire past, whether you remember it or not.

[@miasw1030]

im so hyped you are covering this show! it’s been my obsession for the past months !

[@Bluesuffolk]

I feel like aside from the obvious moral and ethical dilemmas such a split entails, it would also potentially seriously hamper problem solving and creative thinking. How many of us go home from work with an unsolved problem or unfinished challenge and have the solution pop into our brains while we're cooking, or brushing our teeth. A mind that doesn't get to rest between tasks doesn't get the distance it sometimes takes to find the answer. This is observable in studies on students especially where they're are encouraged to take frequent breaks and switch between subjects while studying.

[@wavingdragon]

You selection of clips from other films is quite eye-opening.

[@sonchik6324]

What an impeccable timing! I’m currently pondering whether to watch this show or not. Your video essay really gave me the final push!

[@trinitytrish6876]

I struggle with dissociation and Dissociative amnesia. Identity is incredibly difficult when I forget who I am and especially _why_ I am. This was very informative, thank you.

[@emilysmith2965]

10:59 this shot is incredible, and mathematically symbolic. Because of the rectangular frame, plus the rounded edges of the table, it looks more like an ellipse: a shape with two focus points, or foci, instead of just one like a circle has. Helly is centered on one focus, while desperately reaching for the other one. But try as she might, she can’t close them. It takes both of these points to describe her current sense of self, and she will be annihilated if she tries to become a circle again - a person with a unified and unsevered frame of reference. Even the title “Severance” is so perfect. It’s the state of her memories; it’s compensation for losing a job; it’s a threat of nonexistence as retaliation for quitting.

[@tru4158]

I've been dealing with a fair bit of existential dread involving my memory recently as I've developed epilepsy and have recurring seizures, but I have no memory of those episodes when they occur, so every couple of months I literally miss out on a day or two of my memory. One time I woke up in a hospital room after as far as I remember just going to sleep in my own bed ... It's come to make me realize strangely that we are indeed more than our memories and that our identities are made from more than just our experiences.

[@bengt2119]

As someone who suffers from something similar branch of amnesia. Seeing this show now is really something else.

[@ryanbigguy]

Literally just finished the show last night, unbelievable timing!

[@dadoogie]

When people compartmentalise their memories, they cause all kinds of mental ills. How much more proof do you need that we're a gestalt entity of the person we were, are and are going to be. Turning off any piece of that breaks you.

[@sonkeschmidt2027]

Unless the piece you turn off would break you instead. There are good reasons for everything we do, which is why kontext is ever so important. We aren't independent happenings that are isolated from the rest of the world. We are a wave in an ocean, carried by the causality we call memory.

[@Tyro_]

@@sonkeschmidt2027 sure, but then you see people who’ve repressed trauma, generally it haunts them, even if they don’t remember, often times leading to a breakdown or even a psychotic episode Seems to embrace and accept is the only way to help yourself for many

[@jackroyaltea5034]

@@Tyro_ Repressed memories are not actually real.

[@simonsays6026]

@@jackroyaltea5034 What do you mean?

[@TheTransitmtl]

@@Tyro_ Impossible to take seriously someone who has a nft as his avatar pic

[@simons.6029]

You are so consistent. Once again, a fantastic video essay. I feel very in sync with all the subjects you treat in your videos - my experience is that I walk around thinking about something like how stories differ from reality - and bam, you put out a three part series about that. Then I think about time travel and whether it would be up to us to change our lives - bam, an essay about that. Currently, I’ve been pondering about whether we are able to change ourselves through priming and whether the memories I have a accurate accounts about what happened, and how whether these memories are shaping my identity - bam, this essay. Thanks - your content is very much appreciated :)

[@m.streicher8286]

The 'relating ourselves to ourselves' section is poetry and hit home for me.

[@jetsamperes5762]

The outtie's work day. Get up, get dressed, drive to Lumon, park walk into Lumen get in the elevator at 8:15 am. Instantly reverse the actions except now it's 5 pm. It's like Daylight Saving Time on steroids. You just moved your clock ahead by 8 hrs. You have from 5 pm till you go to sleep to live and create new memories. For your innie - they are in an endless loop of work. They get on the elevator at the end of the day and when the door opens a second later it's the start of another work day. They earn two tokens a day for the vending machine - their paycheck goes to the outtie. Innies are slaves.

[@pigeondance]

yeah, and i feel like innies would 1) become almost a separate entity to their outies, even have thoughts, desires and values opposite to what their outies have 2) slowly go insane

[@Themefull]

It is great that you have the ability to bring your memories to something that builds to your potentially successful state. Building on those memories, rather than aggravating at them has been the biggest skill I'm trying to improve on, as you need to prime yourself to cling to the difference, and the moment, rather than the anguish of existential dread.

[@The_Story_Of_Us]

This is the true nature of work in our modern world. Work for the sake of work is independent of your identity. YOU cannot be part of such work, you can only intrude on it. Work should be an expression of one’s identity, not a replacement for identity. We unfortunately live in a world where far too few people get to be their true selves. They are coerced into leaving most of their lives devoid of identity if they wish to put food on the table, a roof over their heads or give their children a home.

[@J_Stronsky]

As soon as I saw this show, I couldn't wait to see some solid video-essayist analysis. Good to see this channel nailing it first :)

[@filipsperl]

I'm not crying, you are. And thanks for telling me about this show, it's great!

[@parisye1337]

I watched the first minute of the video, stopped, went and watched the entire first season, then returned. No regrets

[@youlleatamuffinandlikeit4596]

Identity without memory is, essentially, SDAM. People who have perfectly functional semantic memory, but very little to no episodic memory. I am one such person. I can function fine, but any given memory turns almost instantly into one or two blurry still frames and an accompanying list of facts- I can't "relive" anything that's ever happened to me, and all my memories are in third person. I can remember factual information like my hometowns and favorite color, but because I have no episodic memory, I feel I don't know who I am at my core. I'm probably never going to know completely.

[@reiggier9211]

I am exactly the same. I have almost no episodic memories- I cannot recall my mothers face and i had lunch with her 2 days ago but i often remember almost entire conversations with people verbatim. It has helped me cope with trauma because I can work through what occured linguistically and I don't have to relive it.

[@JosephOR]

This was truly profound on multiple levels, thank you Tom.

[@ghaleon1103]

This is probably my absolute favorite KZbin channel. Every single video is profound and resonant. Thank you.

[@samwellick1706]

What a beautiful video. I initially started to watch it hoping for an analysis of severance. And I'm glad that it wasn't so. Instead this video was something else entirely. Raising so many important existential questions and trying to make peace with it. This video just made me cry

[@calebknotts4339]

Glad I had notifications on. BIG fan of your work, friend.

[@lucidskydiamond5256]

As someone that has suffered from short term amnesia why time without my memory was so blissful and everything seemed magical

[@_TheReadyus]

You're the only content creator who makes me cry in almost every video. And I love you for it.

[@amandaforrester7636]

I work in dementia care. This hits really close home.

[@bawieland]

I just want to thank you for your videos. Your words have meant so much to me, often at the times when I need them most. Thank you for somehow knowing how to connect me to the parts of myself when even I don't know how to reach them. ❤

[@Tyear]

I've been pondering this, memories, truth in them. Especially now, after the death of two parents, the birth of a child. I have inklings of the memories of my parents, but they are fragmentary, illusory I remember the feeling of love, caring, nurture. I remember regret at actions they and I had taken prior to their passing. But I have problems remembering them. As the people they were, as the parents they were. Their words echo still in my mind, in my way of processing emotion, of being. But I can't remember them clearly, I can look at pictures and videos and say. "Yes, I once knew these people as my parents and once they loved me", but the memories of those days are locked behind a wall of darkness of loss. Of things rather not touched for the pain they'd cause. Because to truly remember, to truly feel those memories and not the images associated with them would be to fully accept the loss of a part of one's self. The loss of the last innocence you have left, because, even though you are an adult, though you've built a life, married a spouse and have made a child together. There is still the innocence of home. Of parents, who no matter what, will stand besides you, who will help your struggle through life. And the loss of them, is the loss of the last piece of your child self. There will no longer be a port to return to in stormy weather. Nor a warm hug to make the fears and terrors of the outside world a little less real. There will only be the memories of those, though tainted by loss, carried by grief. In time, perhaps those memories will be allowed to flourish once again. If you've read my ramblings. Thank you.

[@july7578]

❤

[@flowgangsemaudamartoz7062]

Now you are taking over the position of harbourmaster.

[@annehoskins5795]

You've just described exactly how I feel!

[@sonchik6324]

What a beautiful comment. I studied genetics at uni and we were told to create our own genealogical tree based on some family trait. I chose eye color and I had to call my grandparents on my dad’s side to ask them what was the color of their parents’ eyes (my great grandparents). My grandpa, who’s 78 years old, said he couldn’t remember. His parents both died around 30-40 years ago and without any photos it’s impossible for him to recall. This never occurred to me before. The thought that one day I might not remember my mother’s facial features filled me with awful dread. We’re lucky because we live in a digital age and there will be so much evidence of my mother’s life left, I’ll just need to take a look at any photo and I’ll instantly remember. But this is still so sad to think about.

[@HeatherHolt]

Loved this show so much and glad to see your take on this subject!

[@ReelSchool]

Brilliant video essay. Severance is arguably the best show to come out this century (at least the first season), and this video essay makes me want to rewatch the entire thing. Kudos.

[@SamanthaLain]

Ok so this is kinda semantic but I don't think you mean century which is a period of a hundred years and tv isn't yet a hundred years old with the first tv show being made in 1928

[@tonycowin]

Have you seen Devs? I think people who love Severance would also enjoy that this. Possibly Archive 81 too.

[@shaterlemming2549]

Literally just finished this show last night. Great timing.

[@pravkdey]

So good right

[@penbucket]

A very sincere thank you for helping me understand a show I love in a far more deep way by also managing to relate its concepts and concerns to my own life. Incredible.

[@wolfboi3861]

Wow just wow, I have no words on how amazing this is. Thank you

[@Dat_Guys_Wise]

I don’t think any other essayist can possibly make me feel emotions the way you do

[@Yousef-ni9lj]

Many people liked the show for the suspense it sustains, but i liked it for some of the aspect you mentioned in the video, and others more. The way it poses question about identity, memory, modern culture, selfhood is enlightening.

[@tayduatrinhcoi]

I never knew I need my favorite youtube channel to make a video about my newest favorite series.

[@Piper_____]

Here’s an odd type of memory: I remember being put under for oral surgery as a kid. I only remember it once (despite it happening 4 times), but I remember that one moment vividly. It’s strange, because the LACK of control is what I remember the most. I remember not liking the situation and wanting to do something about it, but every time I thought about actually moving the idea slipped out of my head. For a long time I thought this was a dream or a false memory, until I very recently spoke to my mom and she confirmed that that’s how some sedation works. So now, even as an adult, one of my most vivid memories of my childhood is of a situation where I was “put to sleep.” Interestingly, my memories of the visual details were totally wrong. I remembered being strapped to a table (kind of right - I was strapped to a board on a dentist’s chair), and being restrained with rainbow straps (they were Medical blue). Maybe that’s because I re-encoded those visual memories so much, and tried so hard to make more sense of them, and ultimately introduced my own biases while my memory of the emotions was never really touched, and remained stable.

[@christianrojas3372]

The title alone stoked a deep existential dread of loosing my memory it’s my philosophy that what makes life worth living is the memories we make along the way and too loose that is terrifying to me I know it’s gonna be a good vid

[@JennerationSims]

Fantastic video! I absolutely love film analysis and this delves so deeply and cleanly into the psychological aspects of severance while also connecting it to other media. I'm very excited to watch your other videos now. Great work.

[@_non_zero_sum_game8958]

I really enjoyed season 1 of this series and i love your channel. Didn't think You'd do a vid on it but it's an awesome surprise

[@alexcoyg3281]

This is the best chanel on youtube, I love Audi...but I remember that i had a similar idea when one of my friend asked me if i remembered one evening and i told him i wasnt there and i was 100% sure i wasnt until he showed me actual photos of me at that party...i couldnt believe everyone remembered all the details except for me, it was super freaky because i did not drink or do drugs back then...

[@maximuscesar]

It is cool that you, even briefly, reference Devs. Because that show is awesome and nobody talks about it and I feel like nobody have seen it and it's totally underappreciated.

[@nunyanunya4964]

Agreed, fantastic show that more people should watch and discuss.

[@SarathChandrabiochem]

Intutive and thought provoking. Thanks for the work. It's so deep.

[@YoungMule]

I love this premise as it invites us to look at all the ways we’re already severing minds. Whether we’re awake and living our lives, working, or sleeping for a third of each day, we may always question which one of us is in control which one are we?

[@docwiz]

This has such a unique approach and I enjoy their interactions and the script.

[@FilmShark_Reviews]

I've never skipped this show's intro. So goooood!!

[@gracefasiku6885]

Your thesis is well articulated and beautiful. I really enjoyed your video and I look forward to seeing more of your work

[@SamGarcia]

As someone with aphantasia, that is, little to no visualization, including visual memories, our memories are stored outside, ie diaries, social media updates and photos, etc. We are the most truest self, because we operate on self-made instinct, intuition, or as the video says, semantic and implicit memories. I only know where I am because of priming, such as my identity info, as in knowing my home address without actually remembering the house unless I'm in it, looking at it. We already exist, and I would say 25% of all people or even more have this.

[@pwrnlt1]

Simple request: A list of the films referenced in this video. A play list.

[@diosamurcielaga9418]

Fantastic analysis you make on a truly fascinating subject through the series. I love your channel

[@changwupark6198]

Perhaps the message is that we must exist in multiple worlds, and living is a balancing act. The journey of life is infinite journeys in one, and we need intersubjectively verifiable metrics of time and space to keep improving civilization together, but we also need to recognize that the internal journey of life isn’t about going somewhere, but accepting where you are.

[@Arkylie]

This is all the more fascinating because at one time I was trying to piece together how memory would work if you switched bodies (across dimensions, but this could also work if you just swapped bodies with the guy right next to you). Basically I decided there were three types of memories, possibly overlapping: the kind you'd have to stop and consider, search for (these wouldn't transfer between bodies), the type fresh on your mind (short-term memory *would* transfer between bodies, because I can't see continuity of being without at least that), and knee-jerk "this is part of who I am" knowledge (which also transfers). So when Bob goes to Jim's dimension and takes over Jim's body, Bob maintains whatever he was most recently thinking about, as well as stuff he doesn't have to search for, but loses access to the bulk of knowledge about his home world. However, he gain access to the bulk of knowledge in *Jim's* head, thus giving him a lot of info about Jim's world. And he's able to speak Jim's language, because that's part of the brain pathways and all, but I waffled over whether he'd also bring along a subset of his native language -- I don't think he'd bring any words he'd have to look up in his own brain, but he'd have the most common words and grammar and writing, the stuff he doesn't have to think about and merely communicates in. Procedural. And his motor data would be in the host body, so if Jim could juggle, Bob could likely juggle, but if Bob did martial arts, he'd have trouble with them while in Jim's body, even if he could recall the movements in some fashion. It was quite the interesting thought experiment, the question of which parts of the mind would go with you and which parts would stay behind, or be available for the immediate use of the person using your body as a host.

[@NickSchoenfeld]

I absolutely love this fascinating subject, across all media (especially in a few of my favorite video games such as Soma, The Swapper, The Talos Principle). Your examination of it is the best. You obviously did a ton of research.

[@charmygreen665]

This was amazing. Thank you for making it. I cant wait to watch this show. And thank you for including all the media you used. I recognized a good bit of them but want to check out ones i havent. Subbed my dude 🤘

[@Vampress09]

This video got in my recommended and that's how I came to learn about this amazing show! This type of unique stuff is just what I needed!

[@purumr]

There is no identity with or without memory. There is no mini me inside the head. It’s just one set of thoughts taking another set of thoughts as self. There is just consciousness and appearances in it , in terms of experience. That’s what Buddhism, Advaitha Vedantha and zen philosophy says.

[@fxm5715]

The only thing we experience is this moment. The past and the future are just ideas, thoughts, stories, complex associations between elements that are, at their core, purely abstract. All we ever actually experience is this moment. We let those stories that we never experience consume our sense of being. Those stories get in the way of actually living life, tying us up in the past and the future. We tell ourselves stories about everything we see, feel, hear, taste, even about thoughts themselves. When we can let go of those stories and experience this moment, unencumbered, that is when we connect with, and become clearly what we truly already are without realizing it. We are not our stories, we are this moment of experience. Always.

[@artpoet9915]

Heck yeah. Another individual who knows about advaita vedanta. We are all drops of consciousness from the Great Sea of Consciousness. We are all portions of sat (absolute existence) chit (absolute intelligence) ananda (absolute bliss).

[@tevarinvagabond1192]

That's false and you know it... it's simply to cop out of taking responsibility for yourself and acting like your past or future aspirations don't matter at all. This is typical of a classic Zoomer, or rather a "child", mindset of only looking at the "now" and not caring about anything else even if it means detriment for the future or ruining past ties to those that have been close to you. Let's be honest, if an actual Buddhist monk came to you you'd be so far away from HIS terms of thinking that you might as well not even try to claim Buddhist teaching. People like you literally grab one or two things from multiple religions and then act like they work together...that's not how it works

[@fxm5715]

@@tevarinvagabond1192 I've been on this path for more than 40 years, had a couple of successful careers, supported a family, have dear friends and colleagues, do what I can to benefit my own local community and all people. None of what was said in earlier comments dodges responsibility for the past, or dismisses making careful plans for the future. The behaviour you describe is explicitly refuted in every tradition I'm aware of. It is a well know trap that some people on the path fall into. What we are talking about is the fundamental experience of being alive, when examined carefully. You don't have to take my word for it. In fact, over and over, the wisest people who have gone down this road say, "Don't just listen to me or anyone else. We can never express the thing we are talking about or tell you exactly how to find it. Ultimately, only you can discover this for yourself." There is a well know phrase, told in many variations, that goes, "Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water." The insight we are talking about profoundly changes everything, yet at the same time changes nothing, including the importance of being a responsible member of society.

[@BreezusSneezus]

I've also been studying/practicing these philosophies (plus Taoism, which I think deserves a mention) for awhile now and agree with pretty much everything said here. But I've also studied psychology and neurology so I have to interject that because of genetics, neurological structure, and the physical imprint our experiences have on our brains, there is some "identity" even without memory. That's why a lot of people with retrograde amnesia still retain the same basic personality traits. But that's one of the things I love about the non-dualism present in these philosophies; two seemingly opposing facts can be true at the same time 😊

[@gifdar]

The terrifying thought of all this is if the innie gets vindictive enough in there monotonous lives and start to trying a sabotage their outtie, and overt and physical hatred for one's self. A hatred that the outtie would have no way to comprehend, a personal hell for both involved

[@michim6664]

Amazing, you are one of the best youtubers hands down!

[@Ripotes]

Best show Ive seen in years. Maybe one of the all time greats. I think in the future as modern work culture sinks in people will appreciate this show more and more

[@bernardheathaway9146]

Great piece of work!!

[@stevenshizzle]

I realize you posted this video quite a while ago, but this reminds me of a book called “the body always keeps count” or something like that. It’s basically referencing how we have physiological responses to previous traumas. It reminds me of how somebody could go down onto the severed floor have a bad day and then when they’re coming up the elevator, their biochemical levels are more appropriate to stress than having just woken up or having a normal day.

[@JamesShipman]

Every video. Every single one you’ve made that I’ve watched pushes and challenges me to think deeper and live deeper. To say I love your video essays is an understatement. Thank you. ❤️

[@INERCIABSOLUTA]

i love your work, you really make me cry with emotion

[@ShelbyTeach07]

This show was a breath of fresh air for new and individual tv shows

[@chansherly212]

I love the premise of this show, got me pondering quite a bit, what identity and free will means. I think that a way to make severance more ethical is just wipe the work memories when you're on the outside, but the innie person would have the full memories

[@path72]

The right touching scene always completes each sentence. And the right touching sentence arises from each scene. I am always amazed, always pleased, always captivated - video after video - as if it were the first time. What a mystery is this?

[@lichtfilme]

What a great video once again Tom. Thank you. Severence is such a dark show

[@mistergeorge667]

I love this breakdown of the psychology of Severance. Thank you.

[@jacknicholson3442]

very provocative and incredibly well written video essay, nice work