An insight into human memory

by Somapala Mallawa Arachchi

We often complain of others for their having forgotten their past and acting in the way they do. But the REMEMBERING which is the exact opposite phenomenon of “Forgetfulness” is one of the most important functions in living. Generally speaking, remembering is done with so little effort, that it is difficult to understand how complicated the process is.

To understand memory is not an easy task. For this, one must split up the process into its several phases or parts. Memory has been defined as the knowledge of an event or fact, of which, meantime, one has not thought coupled with the further knowledge that the particular event or fact concerned has been experienced in the past.

It is estimated by neurologists and mental theraphists that some 600 million nerve cells, linked up by countless nerve fibres build up this tremendous, little understood, filing cabinet of memory; implying the retension of an event and the reproduction of the same.

Association

Of the different processes of the memory the first is called the ASSOCIATION. This means the coming together of the two experiences so that the thought of one brings up the thought of the other. That is how the “habit” is formed, whereby the repeated suggestion sets groups of cells acting in unison. It is the same manner how the typist knows where the keys on his or her typewriter lie. It is the principle underlying all “Specialists” knowledge such as that of doctors, engineers, lawyers or any other professional in our day to day life.

The second phase of memory is known as RETENTION . It refers to the power of retaining associations in the mind. This of course varies from individual to individual, and seems to be based upon the natural quality of the nervous system. The opposite of retention is forgetting.

It has been a universally accepted fact that one forgets most in the first hour, less in the next, lesser in the third and so on. And also, after the first 24 hours the rate of forgetting is relatively slow.

A shining example can be caught from an attempt for a language study. A person studying English for instance, finds that he may learn the meanings of fifty English words in one day; However, by the next day most of the words will be forgotten. If, he happened to practise the forgotten words the next day and on succeeding days, in the course of time, he will master the list completely. REPETITION IS THE SOUL OF MEMORY. This fact would be magnificently proved by the lengthy chapters of “pirith chanting” by most venerable and eloquent Buddhist priests.

Forgetting

Another case in point would be most helpful to understand this factor. When we are at school, we do not study mathematics for one whole day, grammar the next day and social studies the day to come; but rather we study mathematics, grammar and social studies each day for short periods. This is in order that the memory bonds, which have been weakened through the rapid forgetting that takes place during the first twenty four hours, may be reinforced.

The third place of memory is usually spoken of as RECALL, and refers to the ability of the individual to call up, under the appropriate circumstances, that which has been associated and retained. This ability to recall under exact circumstances is obviously the test of memory.

Concentrated thinking of the answer to a question in an Examination paper after the paper is handed into the invigilator or to the supervisor is of no value in comparison with thinking of the answer when the question was being dealt with by the candidate. The ability to recall, to a large extent, depends upon the number of associations which have been formed with the particular fact to be recalled. Here lies the great opportunity for improving memory. Each association forms a “handle” by which to pick out of the storehouse of the brain the wanted fact.

The fourth phase of memory is called RECOGNITION, and refer to the “labelling” by which an experience is assigned a place in earlier life. It is the feeling of “PASTNESS” or “FAMILIARITY” . Under normal conditions RECALL and RECOGNITION go hand in hand; occasionally, however, RECOGNITION occur without RECALL. To offer an example, a face may be familiar to you, yet, may call no name immediately to the mind.

Remember

Individuals differ in the kinds of things they remember easily. Some people remember things they have seen better than the things they have heard, according as the eye or ear is the dominant sense. Generally it is the eye in Man. Successful teachers make an attempt to present the material to the student in various ways; For example he reads about it in a book, he discusses it in classes; he presents diagrams and illustrations, and in certain courses he actually works with the material in the field, the laboratory or the workshop.

The memory also becomes impaired and changed with age. This is due in most part to a thickening of the little arteries which feed the “tablets of the memory”, and resulting in a poorer blood supply. The time to learn is in youth, when these tablets are “wax to receive and marble to retain”.

Recent memory in the aged is blotted out. The old man remembers with difficulty the happenings of yesterday. But he was a clear-cut picture of the happenings of his childhood and youth.

As the famous psychologist, Sigmond Freud has pointed out, there is no such thing as “forgetting”. All those six hundred million cells we mentioned earlier would see to that. The smallest experience is registered somewhere. If unpleasant it can be pushed down into the subconscious, but it is far from being forgotten; and in the subconscious it can burrow and fret, causing a sick personality. Psychologists are well aware of this; they go in search of such thrust-under memories and fish them out. The very remarkable fact is that when they are found and discussed their power for mischief often vanishes away.

Mysterious

In this modern world of developed science and technology, not only are the memory processes of the individual studied but also greater and more mysterious memory is acknowledged; the memory of the race or tribe. When one sleeps on a problem, or, as the French people say “takes counsel of the night”, it is really this universal memory or subconsciousness one is consulting for wise, help. One communes again with the unlimited depth from which the life of the mind has sprung.

Vitamin D found to protect against obesity-induced cancer

Higher levels of vitamin D appear to protect women against obesity-related cancer of the uterus, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Georgetown Lombardi

Comprehensive Cancer Center and published in the journal Comprehensive Cancer Research.Researchers fed mice that were genetically predisposed toward endometrial (uterine) cancer either a high-fat or a normal diet. Mice fed the high-fat diet became obese.

Half the mice were also given vitaminD supplements.Among normal weight mice, the rate of endometrialcancer was 60 percent regardless of whether they received vitamin D supplements or not. Among obese mice, however, the difference was striking: while 67 percent of mice not given vitamin D developed cancer, only 25 percent of the vitamin-supplemented mice did.“Vitamin D has been shown to be helpful in a number of cancers, but for endometrial cancer, our study suggests it protects only against cancer that develops due to obesity,” lead researcher Leena Hilakivi-Clarke said.

“Still, if these results are confirmed in women, use of vitamin D may be a wonderfully simple way to reduce endometrial cancer risk.”Vitamin D is produced in the skin upon exposure to sunlight.Scientists have known for decades that the vitamin plays a crucial role in bone and dental health, and in the past few years have begun to discover that it also plays a critical role in disease prevention.In his book ‘There is a Cure for Diabetes,’ Gabriel Cousens notes that higher levels of the vitamin have been linked with significantlylower levels of that disease.

“The benefits of ... adequate vitamin D levels do not stop with diabetes, but significantly affect the complications associated with a ... Westernized diet and lifestyle,” Cousens writes.“Research shows that vitamin D has a variety of important benefits besides lowering blood sugar. It seems to protect against eighteen different kinds of cancers [and] has a significant positive impact on the immune system in fighting colds and flus, viruses, and TB.”

Courtesy: naturalnews.com

Avoiding a first heart attack with aspirin?

by Eelizabeth Smoots

You have probably heard that aspirin prevents heart attacks in people with heart disease. But did you know that it also works in healthy people without pre-existing cardiovascular problems? Research has shown that aspirin is effective in preventing first heart attacks in healthy people who have risk factors for the disease. It does this by staving off blood clots that can trigger heart attacks. But does this mean everyone should be taking aspirin therapy?

According to the studies, the answer to that question is no, unless you have risk factors for the disease.Task forceThe US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of medical experts, recommends aspirin therapy in the following groups:Men aged 45-79 to reduce the risk of heart attacks.

Women aged 55-79 to reduce the risk of stroke. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends aspirin therapy for people who have certain conditions, like heart attack, unstable angina, stroke, and transient ischemic attacks.

Aspirin may also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people who are at high risk for these conditions.Risk factorsAccording to the AHA, major risk factors for heart disease include: Age: 65 or older Gender: male Ethnicity: African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians, and Asian Americans, Smoking, High cholesterol, High blood pressure, Sedentary lifestyle

Courtesy: AHealthyMe

Excess noise: Bad for your mind and body

by Chris Ddunkerley

Unwanted noise is a problem worth shouting about. Whether it’s jack-hammering construction workers or your neighbour’s 150-decibel sound system, it can result in mental and physical suffering.According to psychologist Arline Bronzaft, professor emeritus at Lehman College, City University of New York, toxic noise has been linked to stress, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, and even deficits in children’s learning and reading skills.“People woken at 2:00 a.m. night after night become ratty, depressed, and can become violently angry,” says Professor Stephen Palmer of London’s Centre For Stress Management.

How noise affectsIt’s all about control, says Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in the United Kingdom.“The key factor in our reaction to noise is the amount of control we have over it,” he says. “Research has shown that a person can endure a considerable degree of loud noise, so long as the sound can be switched off at will. The thought ‘I can control this’ keeps the stress at a low level.”

A second factor is that noise is unpredictable. The gentle hum of the office soda machine isn’t a problem. The next-door neighbour getting carried away with his new power drill can unravel your sanity.On a physical level, unwanted, excessive noise can affect physical health because it creates stress and can disrupt sleep.“If you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you don’t let your body repair itself, and you can’t function well the next day,” says Bronzaft.

Courtesy: AHealthyMe

Conquering the fear of public speaking

by Lain Chroust Eehmann

Sweaty palms. Upset stomach. Dizziness. Shortness of breath. Rapid heartbeat. These might sound like symptoms of the flu, but if you have a fear of public speaking, chances are you know them all too well.Fear of speaking in public is extremely common, says David Greenberg, author of Simply Speaking! The No-Sweat Way to Prepare and Deliver Presentations and member of the National Speakers Association (NSA).

“According to the Book of Lists, the number one fear of many adults is speaking in front of groups,” says Greenberg, adding that fear of death ranks at number seven on the same list. Greenberg himself, who speaks several times a week to audiences of up to 1,000 people, admits he still feels nervous before each and every presentation.Depending on which scientific studies you read, anywhere from 44% to 85% of people feel some level of anxiety or discomfort before speaking or performing in public, as do many professional performers, says Howard Gurr, a New York psychologist who treats professional musicians and singers for stage fright.According to the experts, several factors contribute to the nerves many people feel at the sight of a podium and microphone, including fear of embarrassment, fear of failure, and fear of rejection.

“People just don’t want to be on center stage,” explains Marjorie Brody, author of Speaking is an Audience-Centered Sport.The ironic thing is that a touch of stage fright can actually help you be a more effective speaker. You can use the fear of failure to promote your success, if you allow it to motivate instead of discourage you.

Courtesy: AHealthyMe

Motivating people to exercise

When people who know something about motivation talk about the field, they speak about specific questions that the person needs to answer for him or herself before they can change attitudes about exercise.Each month, we here at www.diabetic-lifestyle.com shares meaningful research that points to the benefits of movement for those of us with diabetes, and yet we get monthly e-mail from people who just don’t do it.

We know that there are personal factors, program factors and environmental factors that influence our decisions about exercise and keeping healthy so let’s take a look at these factors and the thoughts we need to modify so that we can begin and continue a program.

Motivating yourself or your loved one to exercise has many advantages, one of which includes the ability to become motivated in other parts of your life. The fire in your belly as you get better at your exercise will generalize and you’ll be able to take a chance at something new. That new idea may actually come true; you will take a chance on yourself and best of all you may become healthier so that all of those ideas will be done by a person who cares for him or herself. We all know that success is a dangerous thing to some people.

They fight an inner battle that pits a wish for success against resistance, which is based on the thought that old failures will repeat themselves and who wants to fail? We’re hoping that by the time you finish this article that the part of you that knows how important exercise is to your health will win out in the beginning, because when that happens and you can keep on with an exercise program, you are a success even if you have set backs along the way.

No one here would suggest that you sit down and ask anyone each one of these questions. I know of no one who has had difficulty keeping up with their total health plan that would stand for that type of exercise.

Do try to get an idea of the answers even if you don’t ask each question so that you can talk about how to help that motivation get moving.Personal Factors: Find out the feelings about the VALUE of exercise. This is important because although someone may say that their doctor has told them to exercise, they do not buy into the reasons or benefits of doing so.

We all have a friend or two who are hale and hearty and have never bent down to pick up a napkin let alone put on cross trainers to take a walk.

Courtsey: Diabetic Lifestyle