Lesson 2
Memory is not what you think it is.
Memory is very, very fallible to the point of every time you have a memory your memory will change and it’s changed based on the current environment and circumstances your in.
Memory does not work like a video camera or audio recorder. It does not store memories as files like you store files on a computer. Instead memories are stored more as fractals or holograms and reconstructed based on a programmed belief.
Memory is deeply linked with our beliefs and the intensity of the associated emotion has a major significant role when it comes to our behaviours.
For example, when I was a young soldier based in Germany, it was my birthday. So my mates organised a bit of a celebration which involved a lot of alcohol. Prior to this I used to enjoy a glass or two of Southern Comfort, but at this birthday bash I drank way too much and was really sick. To the point I needed to throw up and realising I was not going to make it to the toilets I opened my window, which was on the third floor of our building. Unbeknown to me, as I leaned out to be sick, I started to overbalance and fortunately a friend caught me by the feet as I was about to fall out. I knew nothing about this until I was told later on, whist suffering from a serious hangover. But now if I even smell or look at a bottle of Southern Comfort my stomach turns. The strange thing here is that that wouldn’t be the one and only time I had a bit too much to drink, and even if I went to far, to the point of being sick, it wouldn’t put me off that drink later, well after the hangover that is.
So why was I put off Southern Comfort, the fact is being drunk and intoxicated on it meant my life was put in danger, by falling out of a window. So my brain programmed a survival behaviour, this meant from now on based on the potential seriousness of an outcome that the thought, taste, smell of Southern Comfort would make me ill and tell me not to touch it. In comparison to getting drunk on other drinks, my life was not in danger and in fact I had a good time. So the brain programmed a behavioural response to Southern Comfort.
Memories are changed very time we recall one and a memory can be changed very subtilty or significantly based on our current environment and situation. This is why in a court of law witness testimonies are not always treated with trust, they may be if statements are taken by the police shortly after and event and all tend to match up but a single witness testimony is not always seen as valid, especially if time elapses before giving the statement. This is due to us knowing memory changes in time and that the statement is given in context of the emotion given at the time which can be deceiving at best. Not a nice example, but a woman being raped by a gang will give a very different first person account of what happened based on fear, anger yet any others witnessing this will have a different account from their perspective and emotions.
If memories are fallible then this must also mean that the behaviours of which result from them and are programmed into us by our minds are also fallible. As in my example it is not the smell of Southern Comfort that makes me feel sick it is the behaviour and when I do smell Southern Comfort this triggers a response and from the behaviour and onto the thought of feeling sick which brings a bout the sick emotional feeling.
This is how we go through life taking experiences, events and creating programs based on the situation, whether it is good or bad. This helps us survive and learn from mistakes and if serious enough can even cause physical emotional distress. To stop us making the same mistake again.
Another way to grasp this is when your telling someone else something it is a story and with a story we will dramatize certain things, to get the listeners attention or just get a point across. Think about a joke, some people are better than telling jokes than others, its really based on how they express the punch line. But a story is no different. A teacher, a good one, will use variations in a persons leaning techniques to emphasis the main points they need to put across. This can be done visually, auditory, postures and expression’s but regardless the punch line of it needs to be soo that the listener actively listens at that point and gets it. In many cases even though we are not even aware of it a story and its context will be adapted and changed to ensure this happens, and yes we all do this as it is inherent to us as a species, and evolved to learn about the world through stories. Think about Chinees Whispers, you have 20 students in a class and you whisper sentence into the ear of one of them who then pass on what your said to the next student but they must whisper it into their ear. In nearly every case when it gets to the last student and you ask them to say what they heard it will be different and often very different.
Many people will witness an event all at the same time but accounts of that event are going to be interpreted differently and two things account for this.
- The persons personal perception of reality from an internal perspective, of which is unique to each person individually and is based on behaviours..
- The individuals current perspective in terms of mood and current thoughts.
These two things can give a person a very different perspective and understanding when compared to another persons.
The event therefore can give arise to very different behaviours being established between individuals.
The good news is memories although seemingly real are not factually real ,and have been changed from the original memory. If current experiences and our environment can manipulate a memory then we can also change a memory literally and consequently a behaviour. This is basically how CBT works where a therapist takes a clients current situation and asks them how they feel about it, then they get the client to see what is valid about the way they feel, In most cases the client will understand that an emotional feeling to something is not actually valid in this context of what they are thinking or feeling at that moment in time. That’s great but only really works when the client is having an emotional response and to be truly effective the client has to learn this method or the therapist and client would spend a lifetime working though their life history.
If instead we acknowledge and accept our emotional responses and understanding of things are based on behaviours then we can manage and change that behaviour at its source. This then allows all similar emotions for the greater part to be adapted to the change in the source behaviour.
Eclectic Ordained Pagan Priest