Marvel of Homos' Memory. / 0 comments (+)
   




     According to the book "Pieces of Light: How the New Science of Memory Illuminates the Stories We Tell About Our Pasts", by psychologist Charles Fernyhough, our memory has two functions: to remind us of what happened to us—what we saw, heard, tasted, etc. and to weave a story from that sensory input consistent with our present understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. 


     Many of us think of a memory as a fixed thing in the mind [much like a photograph or a video] Neurologists have found that memory is fluid, constantly being re-created in our brains each time we recall something. Memory can be embellished or enhanced with each recall [much like a story can change with each retelling]


     This narrative aspect of memory is what fascinates Fernyhough most, and he mines neuroscience research, personal stories, and literary references to explain how memory functions in our daily lives.




     The laying down of a memory is a process dictated by emotion and circumstances, and its recall can be different on different occasions. “Errors and distortions can creep in at every stage,” writes Fernyhough, even if we recall things vividly. Of course, this means memory is somewhat unreliable—a fact that makes for interesting analysis, especially around issues like eyewitness accounts. [like Sherlock Holmes applied this knowledge to his cases and used it to see what others could not!)


     Fernyhough explains why sometimes smells or music can evoke powerful memories, and why many of our most vivid early memories come from a particular time in our lives (late childhood and early adulthood). But memory does more than reconstruct our past; it also plays a role in shaping our social lives and making decisions about in our future. Though the book is not a “how to” book for improving memory, it does make for enjoyable reading, and should make you a lot more sympathetic to your own and others’ memory lapses.

     




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