Chapter Eight - Memory

Throughout this chapter I have learned the significance of our memory. Memory is extremely important, especially because it helps to define us as individuals. Each individual has different memories that are important and significant. Without those memories we would all be the same. There would nothing that sets us apart from the rest. Memories are experiences in our lives that define us and without those memories life would be boring and challenging.

A perfect example of this is Clive Wearing. Clive had a normal life until he lost his memory. Now his memory lasts for approximately 20 seconds at a time. Every two minutes he writes down that he has just woke up. He doesn't remember the foods he eats, people he knows or has met, the fact that he is married, and he doesn't remember writing things down in his diary; even though he recognizes his own handwriting. He feels that the things written down before either he has written unconsciously or someone else wrote them in his handwriting. I could not imagine having a life like this. Doing the same things everyday and not realizing it. (Life definitely was not meant to be so repetitious.)

As far as memory itself goes, I do see how it works differently. For example, some people like Clive Wearing can only have a short term memory, others only have a long term memory, and there are people that have both but remember one clearer than the other. Also, age has a great deal to do with memory. For example when you are younger, you will most likely have a greater or better memory than those who are older. Before this chapter, I considered myself to have a very good memory, but when we did that in class experiment I found myself to have an average memory. I would say that this simple experiment or quiz definetly made me change my perspective of my memory. I now recongize how often I forget to do simple tasks or can't remember if I turned a light off or locked the house door. I find myself being like mother and asking people questions twice or double checking myself constantly. I do however, still trust my memories. I feel like the things that I do remember are very accurate and lucid.

A concept that I learned in this chapter is the theory of repression. I find it interesting that we as individuals can repress memories. Although, the book stated that this is a rare thing because, often the memories that we try to repress are emotional which makes it nearly impossible to repress them. This is especially true, if the memory is very traumatic. Information that may easily be repressed is neutral material.