In fact, forgetting is a very active process, albeit subconscious, neuroscientists say. The mind is constantly evaluating, editing and sorting information, all at lightning speed. "Your brain is only taking a small amount in, and it's already erasing vast amounts that won't be needed again," Dr. Devi says. ...I've found that for myself, while I might not remember certain things most of the time, I'll suddenly remember it in vivid detail later on if something triggers it. Memory has always been an interesting subject to me; who remembers Encyclopedia Brown or Cam Jansen? As a little kid I'd sometimes blink and say "click!" if I wanted to remember something.Are memories for events you didn't focus on stored in your brain nevertheless -- like unwatched bank-surveillance tapes? That's an area of much debate. Some experts believe hypnosis can trigger long-buried associations. But so-called recovered memories are also susceptible to distortion.
"Memory consists of billions of puzzle pieces, and many of them look the same," Dr. Devi says. "Each time you retrieve a memory, you're reconstructing a puzzle very quickly and breaking it down again. Some of the pieces get put back in different places."
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Forget It
I thought this article on memory and the ability to forget things was very interesting. Excerpts:
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I've been told I have an excellent memory. I have memories from when I was very, very young (even Elianna's age). Some things I remember more vividly than others. I think that if something was considered important to you, your brain probably doesn't erase it completely. Like if you are consciously aware of a moment. At least in my experience, those things tend to stay with me. Or, ever have a moment where you feel like something is familiar but can't put your finger on it? I'm not a scientist, but I would think nothing gets completely erased, that traces of experiences remain.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I even remember things like entire Disney movies :)
blink and click
ReplyDeleteI like that
:)
OOH Encyclopedia Brown! And Cam!
ReplyDeleteIf you concentrate on something to try to remember it- you're more likely to. But, ever have that point (when taking a test for example) when you can visualize your notebook, see the page it was on, see everything- but the stuff you want/need?
Erachet - I think so, too. Otherwise why would I remember unimportant things just because they turn out to be important later?
ReplyDeleteTOWIK - :)
NMF7 - Absolutely. I found it easier to not take notes, save the brainpower, read someone else's, and then I'd be just fine. :P
I loved Encyclopedia Brown. I would probably find them pretty silly now though. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've been accused of remembering way too much. I recall the most trivial details of the most unimportant events from years ago. Yet I often find myself standing in the kitchen with the drawer opened, or in the bedroom in front of the bookshelves, and wondering what the dickens I came in there for?
AT - Just to show how screwed up brains really are, my second thought (after relating) was "did you just write dickens? Do people really say that?"
ReplyDeleteI hated Cam Jansen. That "click" thing was SO corny and annoying. :-P
ReplyDeleteMy memory is not great. It makes me worry about losing it when I get older because I wouldn't have far to fall...
my brother always makes fun of me that i remembered everything even my experience from womb.(not true)
ReplyDeleteEverytime my father parks the car and if i was there, he always ask me to remember where we are because he never remembered where we park.
My mother always ask me to remind her the lists that she need to remembered later on.
I have a lot of pressure from my family that i should remembered everything for them.
Funny part that i remembered my 3rd grade friend's birthday party and the theme is ballat, I didn't see her until i saw her at college and ask her that i remembered and she didn't remember that at all but she knows that she loves ballat when she was little. I didn't realize that my brain stored that information for 13 years and it is NOT important for me.
I remembered too many useless information but i love it because it makes me more knowlegdable than other people. Some reason people makes memory is part of smartness but really it is not because you could practice on it without being smart. You could be stupid but speak a bunch of languages which due to 100% memory. What do you think?
"did you just write dickens? Do people really say that?"
ReplyDeleteWhat the dickens do you mean by this question? Is there word discrimination going on on this blog???
Ezzie--You're making me feel old. Has that expression become extinct by now? I certainly didn't make it up--I used to hear it quite a bit when I was growing up in the US!
ReplyDelete