memory

Usually when trying to learn something new I need to repeat the information multiple times for it to stick in my memory. It doesn't matter how important or interesting that knowledge might be. It requires a lot of work.

Then there are times when I just hear or see something just once, briefly. And then I can't get it out of my head even if I wanted to.

It would be nice to consciously be able to do that: learn things instantly without all the repetition, pondering and hard work. Having such a memory would be fantastic.

I have vivid memories or moments when I have been reminiscing some other, older happenings. Isn't it enough to just remember those memories? What's the point of remembering also when you have remembered them.

Sometimes the memory of those occasions can be more clear then the actual memory. Or at least when I try to remember it directly. Maybe I don't even remember the original memory anymore.

Well, this hasn't happened for a long time: I almost forgot to write. I remember I was about to write in the morning, but then something interrupted me. Then I just forgot to get back to it. I even forgot that I didn't actually write despite having the intention to start. That intention was enough to leave a memory footprint in my mind regarding the activity of writing. 

I try to write things down as much as possible. I don't trust my memory. Actually I don't even want to strain it trying to remember all those little things. It's better to save that brain capacity for something important. It's also a good way to declutter the mind transfering all those random thoughts into an external memory.

The problem is, like I have earlier explained, that I don't think in words. When I write something down, convert it into words I still have all the attached mental images in my mind. So when I look at the note, I my mind I see more than just the words.

Tip of the tongue phenomenon (TOT) is a memory deficit where a person is certain they know the piece of information, answer, name etc. but just can't recall it at the moment. There are two main explanations for it: direct-access view and inferential view.

The former can happen when the memory of the information isn't strong enough itself, but there is still a memory signal that you have come across the information at some point. It just hasn't been actually committed to your memory. 

Well, by some twisted turn of fate, just when I wrote about forgetting things today I managed to forgot my laptop at home. I remember checking all the things when I was heading out from home: glasses, keys, phone etc. except the laptop. Now  it's there and I'm here, wondering what to do.

Sure, in a normal day, I could just head back home and do the rest of the day from there. But today  I'm heading to Ropecon after work. So not much point in all the way back home and then coming back again.

A couple of days ago I wrote about how I like to read and learn new things. So much that I just can't remember all of it. And even that little which I do probably replaces something I previously used to know.

Except, as I have read,  that's not how our memory works. All the things are still mostly there. They remain in our heads indefinitely, at least almost. It's just that while the amount of information grows some of it becomes less relevant and is therefore buried beneath the more important information.

I was about to post a reply to a post today including a link to my own post had written earlier. Or so I thought.

When I tried to find that post couldn't. There is a chance it's still there somewhere among all the rest. I didn't go through all of them as there are so many. It might also be so that I used some clever title that wasn't apparent to catch the topic quickly skimming through the list of titles have written.

I should probably invest some time implementing better search for my blog and/or go back and add some tags to all those older posts.

Sometimes I forgot I have already written about something. I just start writing and then later realize I have already made a similar post before. But I have also written about this many times, so no more about it.

It's been only two weeks, but it seems I have already forgotten my normal schedule. At least partially.

Even after not having to wake up to the clock I haven't slept too long on most of the mornings, as usual. But I haven't woken up too early either. No 6 am jumps out of bed. Despite, today I was up five minutes before the alarm.