In Your Memory
by Amal Hewavissenti
 The memory power of Alexander the Great who addressed his army of
twenty thousand soldiers each by name remains an enigma to the outside
world. Have you ever come in contact with people who marvellously
describe things from their photographic memory?
This simply refers to the exceptional memory power in which a person
can recall, for example the line, page, chapter or pictures where a
particular piece of information is included in a book.
Another person with this super memory may remember a verse or a whole
poem precisely as it was when he read it for the first time. Still there
are others who have the inborn skill to visualise the location of
houses, trees, buildings and even bends they see for the first time on
their way to a particular destination.
Photographic memory
Here, what they read or see is powerfully focused on to the memory
just as a camera lens captures impressive scenery live on its film. This
type of memory is known to be with some children whose minds are not
exposed to absorbing experiences and artistes who habitually observe
nature and people to the slightest detail. Be that as it may, we should
under no circumstances be fussy about losing such a sharp memory because
the normal memory we are blessed with, is more than enough.
You will find yourself in hot water when someone whose name is out of
your memory but who is very close to you, comes to you and starts a
dialogue with friendly chat-up lines. You will shamefacedly feel it
utterly mortifying to tell him that you know him but you really can’t
remember his name.
 Nothing more is mind-numbingly embarrassing than standing before a
close friend whose name you’ve forgotten. One has the tragtic chance of
forgetting the name of one’s bosom friends, students or close relatives
but remember! Everybody loves to hear his name spoken by his closest
one.
It is almost inevitable that nothing can erase anything from your
memory so long as there is the undisguised need on your part to give
recognition to it and retain it in the mind. To overcome this
difficulty, we can associate someone’s facial appearance, special
features or mode of walking or speaking with his name that is probable
to sink into oblivion. However, the underlying truth is that our
inability to recall a friend’s name is certain to knock him off-balance
on the spot. Instead, we should study and mentally analyse other
features with the name to fully-train the memory to unleash what it has
stored.
Transient memory
Dulip hurried from his bedroom to the office room with something in
his mind. Once he entered the office room. he was struck with the sudden
notion that he’s totally forgotten why he went there. After a few
minutes, he kept wondering what he was there for and quickly went back
to his bedroom to discover that the television was switched on with a
“snowy” noise pattern.
That was it! What he forgot was the remote control that he has left
in the office room the day before. This was a short term memory loss. A
sight, smell, taste or a picture in a book may trigger a small clue that
may open and spread out a chain of remembrances that again are otherwise
impossible to be brought back to memory.
 This temporary loss of memory comes to pass solely because we keep
thinking at the same time, about something else without apparent
relevance. Dulip definitely had the idea of a remote controller in his
memory when he left the bedroom but that thought which was not properly
exercised in memory might have been accompanied by some other thought.
Authentic research proves that ageing does not increase memory loss.
Any person in old age can maintain a sound memory by keeping their mind
active and efficient.
Learning, an active lifestyle and exercises are proved to be the best
treatment for any possible breakdown in memory power. Finally, if you
can concentrate well on what you are busy with, there is really more
probability for the memory to be wonderfully active with you. |
