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Why are some memories burned into our minds?
Psychology
Recalling events frequently makes it easier to “save” them in our memory
Memories may be our greatest treasure. Therefore, we strive to keep them anywhere, in case they ever get out of memory. We constantly take photos, we write down our experiences and we regularly recall stories and events with friends and family. Memories, after all, are the only thing that remains of what we have experienced, and preserving them is one of the ultimate goals. But, we live so many years, and so many things happen to us, that many experiences end up slipping through our fingers and we are not able to remember them. There are times when they tell us something that we have lived, and we no longer remember.
Remembering is a mechanism of our brain. Explains Paula Mella, psychologist
of the ifeel platform, that when we remember something «our mind activates a neural circuit and “opens the drawer” that contains that memory». “Once the” drawer “was opened during the memory, we took out its content and put it back together with the nuances of the current situation (who we are with, where, what parts of the memory we have taken specifically, the way in which we have narrated…) », explains the professional.
This mechanism can wear out with use, and because of this, as they say, it can cause memories to “die into oblivion.” The psychologist explains it: «Every time we remember something and the more we remember that in particular, the stronger the mentioned circuit becomes, and the more accessible it is. However, when enough time passes and that neural circuit is not activated, it can die, that is, do it increasingly difficult to remember».
Mind awake to better remember
Also, it should be noted that there are people more easily retain memories than others. “If you are continually exercising the brain, the more neural circuits you have in operation and the less neuronal death you will have, so it will be easier to access memories,” he says. In addition, he says that, if we frequently bring to mind a memory, it will become more and more accessible and will come to our mind even when we do not want to. “A daily case of this phenomenon are those annoying songs that for a time seem to haunt us and it seems almost impossible to get rid of their melody,” he gives as an example.
Another important factor when it comes to understanding why there are memories that are recorded in our mind and another not, is the emotional charge they have these. If we talk about births, deaths, weddings or moments in which a very emotional moment has been revealed, we are talking about an experience that is easier for us to remember over the years.
Made up memories
On the other hand, a common phenomenon in distort memories, and thus end with an experience that did not occur as we believe. “When remembering an event, new nuances are added. When the memory is “saved” again, it is not the same as it was originally. If this process is repeated several times, we could get a distorted thought », explains Paula Mella.
Related to this phenomenon, it may also happen that we reach confuse dreams we’ve had with memories. This happens because dreams are largely made up of our past experiences. The psychologist comments that, during the night, all the memories of the day pass into long-term memory and it is likely that some of those memories during this “trip” come out in the dream plane. “That is why when we wake up we can confuse reality and fiction, although it is not a phenomenon that occurs very frequently, since memories in dreams appear along with many other nuances typical of” fiction “,” he concludes.