What is Affective Memory?

Affective Memory is an acting technique where actors recall emotions of past experiences to re-experience them within the context of the scene.

Affective Memory was originally based off of Stanislavski’s technique known as Emotional Memory or Emotional Recall, but stanislavski eventually abandoned this technique as he felt there were better ways of achieving emotion that were more reliable.

After learning of Stanislavski’s techniques, Lee Strasberg expanded on them in his own ways, eventually creating what is now known as “The Method“.