Oscar Wilde has said – ‘Memory …is the diary we all carry about with us.’ Memory is a remarkable power of the human brain on the basis of which a person learns, gains experiences, and endeavors to develop his life. All individuals have different levels of memory. Some have such a sharp memory that they can remember and replicate the actual incidences in a precise manner. But some people have a weak memory. They forget them soon and hence cannot recollect the events properly.
If the power of memory is lost due to some reason, we would not be able to recognize anybody, neither ourselves nor others. In such a situation, we would forget the objective of life. We would be perplexed as we won’t understand what we are doing and where we are going. This means that we are able to lead a harmonious life, maintain relationships and fulfill our obligations only because of our memories.
An average level of memory is enough for leading an ordinary life, but a good memory and a sharp brain are essential for special tasks like studying, pursuing research work, or accomplishing difficult goals. The stronger the memory a person has, the better he understands various things and excels in his work.
There could be numerous reasons for poor memory. These may include a lack of sufficient sleep, fatigue, stress, consumption of intoxicants, etc. Excessive workload could also adversely affect our retention. When overloaded with work, we cannot complete any task properly; we forget many crucial details and facts related to it. Multitasking (i.e., doing many things at one time) is another impeding factor. Research has revealed that multitasking destroys the concentration of a person and also decreases his memory.
An effective way to increase memory is – concentration. In order to memorize anything, there is a need to focus on the subject matter at hand. When we concentrate on anything, we do not let our minds deviate; hence, the work is done properly. The work done with concentration not only gives good results but also gives joy to the person doing it.
When we do something of our interest we may easily get engrossed in it. For example, while watching a movie or reading an interesting novel, we easily get lost in it. Our mind gets engrossed and then we even forget about time. In the process, we easily remember everything – from the sequence of events to the names of characters and the story. In such instances, we don’t try to memorize it, but those events get engraved into our memory. This engraving is so deep that it keeps surfacing in our minds very often.
According to experts, psychological pressures and negative mentality affect our memory adversely. On the other hand, a positive attitude facilitates our cognition. In today’s time, when our lives are getting stressed due to many external and internal factors, keeping a positive attitude may help us in coping with various adverse situations and in maintaining our memory strong.
Thus, in order to augment the memory it is essential to keep the mind positive, tranquil, and focused. Further, we should also learn to concentrate; because the more focused we are, the better we could remember. In some cases, it may also be necessary to incorporate neuro-stimulating nutrients into our diet. This will improve our nervous system and hence our memory.
Akhand Jyoti, November-December 2017
