Remembering More - How We Make Memories


by Barbara Friesner - Date: 2006-12-23 - Word Count: 574 Share This!

Because of the my mother's dementia and as a Generational Coach, I'm often asked by people who are concerned about their "intellectual pauses" if there's anything they can do to remember more, longer, and make their memories easier to access. Based on information I've learned through research, personal observation and experience, I say Yes!

HOW WE MAKE MEMORIES

The brain is an incredibly complex organ composed of billions & billions of microscopic neurons, or brain cells. All the physical and mental tasks we perform (walking, singing, tying your shoes, and thousands of other tasks) are carried out when these cells communicate with each other. This communication is accomplished by a chemical manufactured inside the cell that jumps the tiny gap between the cells, called the synapse. The chemical connection (think of a microscopic hair) creates a memory.

Memories are made through our five senses. Every time we hear, see, taste, smell, and touch, we're making a "memory connection". In addition, the brain actually creates a new memory connection for every sensory experience. If you say 1 word 10 times - you've actually made 10 connections for that word. You probably have millions of connections for your name. Our earliest memories are created through the sense of touch, which has 2 parts. The first is tactile; the way something feels (a caress, the texture of a blanket - or a hot stove). The second is kinesthetic, sometimes called "muscle memory". We make kinesthetic memories the same way you get to Carnegie Hall . . . practice, practice, practice! It's how pianists play without looking at the keys, how dancers remember routines, and how we remember how to tie our shoes.

Sight is our strongest sense for short term memory. In fact, 73% of our short term memory is through what we see.

Hearing, on the other hand, is the least reliable of the senses. We may have great memories for music or the sound of someone's voice but most of what we hear are abstract "facts" such as names and numbers which lack an emotional context.

If you've ever tasted something and asked yourself what's missing, it's because of a taste memory. A few years ago, some restaurants started featuring "comfort" food (such as meat loaf and macaroni & cheese). It sounded like a good idea but it didn't work because the food didn't match the memory of the way "Mom used to make it".

While sight is the strongest sense for short term memory, the sense of smell is the strongest and most vivid for long-term memories. If you've ever smelled something and had memories you hadn't thought of in years come flooding back - thank your sense of smell.

And each of the senses makes its own connection even for the same experience! When you see a rose and stop to smell it, you've doubled your memory of it!

Researchers also believe that our brain processes and stores memories of emotion differently from the way it stores memories of fact and that we remember emotional memories far longer than fact memories. The memories of Thanksgiving dinners, lullabies your mother sang to you, your wedding, your child's first words, the first time you successfully rode your bike without training wheels, your old boyfriend's aftershave, your first kiss, flowers on Valentines Day are all made stronger because of the combination of the senses plus the emotional connection.

So as you look for ways to improve your memory, keep in mind the old adage "stop and smell the roses" . . . it's truer than you think!


Related Tags: alzheimers, parents, memories, dementia, sandwich generation, eldercare, adult children

© Copyright AgeWiseLiving™ 2001-2006 You can find information about Generational Coaching, AgeWiseLiving™ seminars, and to sign up for Barbara's monthly newsletter at http://www.AgeWiseLiving.com or by calling toll-free (877) AGE-WISE. Barbara E. Friesner is the country's leading Generational Coach and expert on issues affecting seniors and their families. She is an adjunct professor at Cornell University, where she created and teaches "Seniors Housing Management" at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration.

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