| If all the data received by our senses were | | | | purposefully help to maximize this effect. As you |
| stored in our memory, we would soon be | | | | perceive new input, match it as best possible to |
| overwhelmed. The subconscious mind sorts | | | | material already in your memory, by using |
| through the input, and retains only a fraction for | | | | images, sounds, key words, and concept maps. A |
| long-term memory storage. Every second, the | | | | vital ingredient for memory is reviewing, and it is |
| eyes absorb ten million bits of information, the | | | | effective only when done at specific times after |
| skin takes in a million bits, and the ears receive | | | | absorbing the information. For instance after one |
| one-hundred thousand bits. Of these millions of | | | | hour, one day, one week, and six months. |
| bits processed, only about forty of them reach | | | | The brain thrives on challenge and complexity, and |
| the conscious mind. Data, that are not deleted, | | | | its primary drive is survival. It needs to survive |
| are sorted and filtered by the subconscious mind. | | | | socially, economically, emotionally, and physically. |
| Next, they are either sent to the conscious mind, | | | | The brain is pre-wired to learn and, if optimum |
| or encoded for medium and permanent memory | | | | conditions are not present, employees may learn |
| storage. | | | | to fear change in the workplace, and students |
| The active brain can "remember" things that | | | | may learn to fear subjects like math. It is the |
| actually did not happen, or that are not correct. | | | | management of emotions that gives learners |
| Ask any police officer who has interviewed | | | | greater command over their learning. |
| witnesses. The mind makes assumptions in order | | | | Overwhelming stress has a detrimental effect. |
| to link events. People "remember" words that are | | | | Researchers have evidence that high stress |
| implicit or not stated, with the same probability as | | | | experienced by a pregnant woman can distress |
| explicit words. Studies with fMRI (functional | | | | the fetus, resulting in learning difficulties for the |
| magnetic resonance imaging) have demonstrated | | | | child later in life. Among infants and toddlers, high |
| that the same brain areas are activated during | | | | and chronic levels of stress can make learning |
| questions and answers about both true and false | | | | more difficult, perhaps even shrinking the part of |
| events. This may explain why false memories can | | | | the brain associated with memory. |
| seem so compelling to an individual reporting the | | | | Tips to Remembering |
| events. Types of Memory | | | | Imagine that I recite to you a list to you of thirty |
| Remembering is the storing of memories, and the | | | | items. I then ask you to write them down after I |
| later recalling of them. It's a biological process that | | | | finish. You would remember things that are: • |
| involves dedicated brain structures. When a | | | | at the beginning of the list • UnUsUaL • |
| memory is encoded; it is dismembered and | | | | repeated, repeated • at the end of the list |
| handed off to different parts of the brain for | | | | The remembering of the first and last items is |
| storage. Getting all these pieces back together is | | | | helped by what is known respectively as their |
| an inaccurate process. Hence, RE-membering is | | | | primacy and recency. Every study session has |
| not perfect. Knowing that memories are formed | | | | primacy and recency opportunities. If you study |
| in different categories, and that they move | | | | for one hour, then take a break, you get one of |
| between categories, can help in developing | | | | each. If you study for twenty-five minutes, take |
| strategies for improving memory and learning. | | | | a short break, then study another twenty-five |
| There are two broad categories of memory: | | | | minutes, you get double the primacy and recency |
| non-conscious, and conscious. The latter includes | | | | events. How great is that? |
| short-term, and long-term memory. • | | | | As mentioned earlier, memory is not stored in a |
| Non-conscious memory, takes two forms. One of | | | | single location in the brain. It is deconstructed and |
| these, implicit memory, automatically stores | | | | distributed all over the cortex. The emotional |
| experience and concepts, and plays a role | | | | content is stored in the amygdala, visual images in |
| unconsciously in affecting perception and behavior. | | | | the occipital lobes, memory of the source in the |
| These memories are the basis for forming an | | | | frontal lobes, and venue is stored in the parietal |
| individual's view of society, and his or her place in | | | | lobes. Remembering is actually an act of |
| it. The other form, muscle memory, plays a role | | | | reconstruction. |
| in the mechanical execution of a series of | | | | Memory Decay, or loss of remembered events, |
| motions, as in riding a bike or playing a musical | | | | is a natural phenomenon as new experiences |
| instrument, learned through repetition over time. | | | | displace existing memories. You can easily |
| • Conscious short-term memory, is the | | | | counteract this loss of learned material through |
| working memory. It's a place for stuff that you | | | | periodic review. |
| need to hang on to for only a short time. | | | | A greater variety of input streams from eyes, |
| Maintaining information for only a few seconds, it | | | | ears, tactile, and emotion allow for more |
| enables us to remember a current thought, and | | | | pathways to exist for dynamic reconstruction, |
| so, for instance, take part in a conversation, keep | | | | thus creating richer memory. Multi-modal |
| a lecture in context as it progresses, or maintain | | | | instruction makes a lot of sense. Accelerated |
| the thread of a story or movie. • Conscious | | | | Learning addresses the need. |
| long-term memory: Although stored in our | | | | To get a handle on just how unlimited our ability |
| unconscious mind, this memory is of the events | | | | to learn is, multiply the number of neurons (10 |
| and facts that we can consciously recall and | | | | billion) by the number of branch spines (10 million) |
| verbally describe. It includes that of words, | | | | by the number of dendrite spiny protuberances |
| symbols, and general knowledge about our | | | | possible on each spine (100 million). The result |
| perception of the workings of the world. | | | | indicates how many new connections are possible |
| Information of a personal nature, something | | | | when learning. Using this size font, the answer is a |
| witnessed or experienced, is better remembered | | | | "1" followed by zeros that extend for some 6.2 |
| when associated with emotion. | | | | million miles. The capacity of our memory is |
| The brain links information unconsciously. You can | | | | virtually unlimited. |