Memory and our Brain - is there any relation?
Author: Greg Frost
Your mind is a great asset, but as you grow older you will find that your memory is adversely affected. An excellent way to improve your memory is to understand that each improvement as a succession of little victories to be built upon each other.
Classification
Your memory can be separated into 8 different types: Episodic, Factual, Semantic, Sensory, Instinctive, Skill, Collective, and Past Life memory. These different parts describe the role that each part of the memory is responsible for. For example, factual memory is used for remembering facts such as the date of Christmas is the 25th of December. Skill memory is interesting, in that all skills require your memory as well. Learning to ride a bike, or baking, involves using your brain to remember each particular skill.
Another way of classifying your memory is through the use of duration – Short term, Long term and sensory memory. Short term memory refers to the recent memory, and is often held only for a very short period of time. A common example would be when you meet many new people, casually introduced at a party. Long term memory, on the contrary, can be also casually referred to as a database where all the information that you have learnt is kept. Sensory memory is conveyed through your senses of sight and sound, where you keep these “images” in your mind.
Brain
Fast learners or people who are able to remember many facts are often thought of as being more intelligent. Is there really such a correlation between intelligence and the memory? There is not much difference between you and your neighbor, or someone else half the world away. What then would result in this difference in intelligence? Your memory is essential in acting as a resource for you to draw upon the knowledge you have learnt, and put them together to reason. Through the use of memory together with new experiences, you will find that an individual who learns from mistakes will not repeat a similar mistake again. Again, this is the memory at work, allowing you to remember and hence avoiding the error.
Aging
It is absolutely essential to possess a clear mind. Whilst older people are more prone to suffering dementia, it can be reversed before it reaches an advanced stage. Keeping a healthy diet, exercising, sleep and having the right amounts of nutrients can help you to avoid dementia. Elderly people are more unlikely to have severe problems with memory enhancement skills if they have faith in their abilities and strive to improve their recall. Just as physical exercise increases your muscle mass, constant exercising of your mind will help you to improve your brain.
Learning
When studying or learning something new, it is always helpful to have someone to study with. By sharing knowledge, engaging in discussions and teaching each other, it is inputted into to your mind that the information is helpful and this helps you to store it in the long term memory. Bear in mind that systematic learning is not equivalent to memorizing by rote, rather it is more like developing a process that will help you to recall the information that you have learnt easily. There are many methods to help your brain create such linkages.
Confidence
Lastly, confidence is an important factor when aiming to improve your memory. As you gain greater confidence, you will learn to overcome momentary memory loss. Confidence can transform the way you learn, and makes a significant difference to your learning process
Always begin by first identifying what kind of memory you want to improve, and then question yourself the way to go about doing so. Your mind has different types of memory, and exercises to improve one type may not be effective if it is not the right memory classification that you want to work on.
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Greg Frost is a coach that helps people prevent memory loss and develop photographic memory using unique memory techniques. For more information on how you can improve your memory, visit this site: www.photographic-memory.org
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