Siddarth Kamath Week 15: Enigmas of Memory

    Memory is a force of nature that is taken into large account in our existence. It shapes our views or perceptions, our identities, and takes us deep into our past. It is remarkable attribute of the human mind, having the ability to recollect the past. We can use this tool to preserve desired moments, emotions, and experiences long after they have slipped from our minds. Even though it is quite complex, memory remains one of the most vital phenomena to understand in great detail.

    At its core, memory is the brain's function to encode, store, and retrieve information. It is pretty straighforward yet many think of it as very complex with a labyring of intricacies. Our memories are not static but instead dynamic constructs, having the possibility to transmute and even be fabricated! Our memories undergo serveral changes throughout our lives as we change our belief system, biases, and emotions.

    The mind is facinating for the ability to be very selective. We do not remember every single event that happened in our past. In reality, our minds actually filter and prioritize information based on its relevance and significance. This selective mechanism allows us to not fill our minds to the very brink and allows us to be susceptible to new information easily over the course of our lives.

    Addionally, our memory is goes past just the individual experience; shared memories have a great impact too. From communities, cultures, and civilizations, humans have shared experiences since the brink of time and have archives to preserve and transmit collective memory across generations such as ancient oral traditions.

    However, our memory is not infallible. It is very possible for our brain to decay, distort, or even forget every single precious memory gathered over the yeras. There is a fine line between fact and fiction and the longer the time the harder this line is able to be determined. Other factors include trauma, stress, and neurological conditions that can disrupt the delicate machinery of memory and create gaps or imperfections on our perception of reality.

    Despite these challenges, the study of memory has made serveral strides in recent years. We can now observe the dance of neurons as memories form and recall as well as understand the cognitive proceess that underly memory such as the encoding, storage, and retrieval stages. As the years come and go and the topic of memory will be of question. Do you think understanding memory can shape humanity and discover the essence of who we are?

https://www.verywellmind.com/great-ways-to-improve-your-memory-2795356


Comments

  1. Peter ShrApril 29, 2024 at 12:28 PM

    Hi Siddarth! Thank you for sharing about the nature of human memory, and I appreciate the breadth of aspects you discuss in order to display the complexity of the human brain. It was extremely informative to read your exploration of the science behind our notion of memories. Similar to what you have already discussed, I heard how newborn babies are able to make new neural connections at a much faster rate than adults, and the connections that are reinforced over time remain while the rest become pruned. Yet, you also bring this discussion to its cultural and societal impact. I never would have looked at memory as a shared experience, but it truly indicates the interconnectedness of our history. I appreciate the objective tone you adopt in introducing so many topics, as our research and understanding of human memory is developing to this day. The multifaceted nature of our human experiences is so fascinating, as there are so many ways to view our sense of self. The various topics and the ending questions that you bring up made me consider how each perspective has merit. We now have an objective understanding of the biological processes behind our brains, but how we define ourselves remains a long-standing, developing philosophical conversation.

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