Think of a place from your past — what smell, sound or taste brings it straight back to you?

A natural way to answer

It's the sound of cicadas in the evening heat. The moment I hear it, the whole of those childhood summers abroad comes back in a rush. Certain sensations are so deeply ingrained that they bypass thought entirely and go straight to feeling.

Key phrases to use

• take you right back — suddenly make you feel you are in a past time or place“That song takes me right back to school.”
• deeply ingrained — fixed so firmly that it's hard to remove or forget“The habit is deeply ingrained in me.”
• unlock a flood of memories — suddenly release many memories at once“The old letter unlocked a flood of memories.”
• fall away — gradually disappear or stop being felt“My worries fell away on the beach.”