Enrich your memory

Blame it on the busy schedules, stresses of life, life-style, adulteration or deficiencies in food intakes, forgetfulness - sudden loss of memory, lack of concentration, etc, seem to have become common complaints these days among not only the persons in their 50 or over, but also among many youths and children. This article throws light upon basic functional aspects of memory and presents some practically viable methods of improving memory. – Editor

Power of retention and efficient retrieval of knowledge is an important component of intellectual functions. If all the memory of past experience and acquired knowledge is wiped out, one would practically become like a newborn baby. Level of our knowledge is indicative of our intelligence to some extent. This is more important in case of mastering any professional skills or scholarly domains. A good teacher, lawyer or doctor, etc is required to have sound and substantial knowledge of his field (discipline) and also to possess sharp memory to make best use of this knowledge as and when necessary.

Amnesia or lack of memory is considered a mental deficiency or disease in general. In the normal course, whatever knowledge is perceived by the brain with the help of the sense organs and conscious mind - gets imbibed in the uncountable subtle layers of the receptor cells (neurons) in the brain. The more active and sensitive these cells, the finer would be the assimilation of knowledge. ‘Recording’ on the dry and thick cells is blunt and unclear. If we draw a line in wet clay, it would create sharp and stable mark. However, doing the same on a rubber sheet would be of no use –– the line so drawn would be very light and it would disappear after a short while, as soon as the elastic surface regains its original form. The lighter impressions on memory are not lost totally but remain dim and stored in the inactive layers of memory and cannot be retrieved unless specific efforts are made to activate those hidden or dormant regions of memory.

When we try to recall something, the conscious energy of mind stimulates bio-electrical currents of brain towards the associated memory layers and activates those layers of memory where the corresponding pattern or knowledge or information has been stored. If the receptor cells are less sensitive, the bio-electrical flows are not received or recognized by them and no retrieval of memory is possible. A broken needle of gramophone cannot play any record of whatever good quality. The flaw or weakness of the neuronal signals may also be the cause of lack of memory, as very weak or defective bio-electrical impulses would not activate even the sensitive cells, which contain sharp ‘recordings’ of memory.

As the waves of ocean gradually diminish and continuously give rise to new waves, in the same way the assimilated stock of memory, if not used or activated, gets pushed back into the unconscious layers of mind leaving space for registration of new information and new knowledge. This process also leads to delayed recalling or forgetfulness. This natural phenomenon is essential because if we would have remembered each and every bit of past experiences, events and information, we would have gone mad or it would have been impossible for us to notice what is happening in the present moments.

Some people are endowed with supernatural or exceptionally sharp memory since birth. This is largely attributed to the positive effects of – the sanskārs assimilated during the past births and the corresponding awakening of the spiritual power of their unconscious mind. Everybody cannot possess such extraordinary memory as a natural gift. One’s inner character, as conditioned in the previous and present lives, plays a subtle but key role in orienting the natural development of his mental potentials. Natural intellect also depends upon the sanskārs of the parents and upon the environment in which one is born and brought up. However, given a normal brain and memory, we can always endeavor to sharpen it by rigorous training and practice.

Forgetfulness does not imply total loss of memory. Whatever is ever recorded in our memory is never lost completely. It is only dumped in the ‘backyard’ of the memory unit if we do not use or recall it for long. Suppose you had read a book with keen interest some ten years ago but never got an opportunity to do so again or discuss, read or write about it since then, you are most likely to have forgotten it by now. However, if you read it again, you would grasp it more rapidly and remember it better than someone who has similar memory and is reading it for the first time. This is because the shattered pieces of associated portions of memory get re-linked during the second reading and activate retrieval of corresponding knowledge.

How well the acquired knowledge or impressions of perceptions are recorded in our memory depends upon our alertness, interest and engrossment. When you go for a stroll in some garden, you may see a variety of trees, plants and flowers. If somebody asks you to describe “What types of flowers and trees your saw?” –– you are most likely to recall only a few of them. Next day when you go to the same garden, you would be more alert. If you wish to give more precise answer to that person, you would carefully look at each plant and types of flowers and try to remember their names; because of subtle doubt of forgetting them, you would again repeat the list. This will store the above information firmly in your memory. Because of their concern about history-examination, students might remember the year in which king Akbar or George-I was born though, they might forget the birth-dates of their own brothers and sisters. This illustrates that our willingness and attention play major roles in retention of memory.

We all know that every action requires some energy. The natural cycle of birth and death is also based on the principles of action- reaction and energy consumption and transformation at physical and subtle levels. A steam engine requires thermal energy from coal. Cars and airplanes gain energy from petrol and diesel... and so on. Greater the power or force required for an activity, the larger will be its energy consumption. Memorizing and recalling are among the important activities of human brain, which, being the sole regulator of enormous range of bodily and mental functions, naturally requires maximum amount of vital energy.

Concupiscence and uncontrolled indulgence in sexual activities results in severe loss of semen and the vital power of prāna. This in turn reduces the supply of vital energy to various organs including the brain and gives rise to mental weakness. Dr. Paroval remarks that –– “About 97% of the patients suffering from psychological disorders and weaknesses like insanity, amnesia, aboulia, aggression, mental lethargy or dementia, etc, are those who were licentious and have had sexual diseases of one kind or the other due to erogenous excitations or excessive loss of semen.…”. The problems of white discharge, weakness of genitals etc are usual signs of sexual disorders. People suffering from such diseases often also complain of headache or heaviness of head, giddiness, insomnia, dullness, mental fatigue, whizzing in ears, etc. This happens due to lack of sufficient supply of vital energy to the brain. How long would a flame glow if the oil of its lamp flows down from a hole at its bottom?

Protection of the body fluids from loss due to sexual indulgence or erogenous excitation is the most important step towards the maintenance and sharpening of memory. Sincere observance of chastity enhances vitality and keeps the brain and mind energetic. Other remedies and means of enriching mental health are like applying fertilizers or hoeing the soil near a plant while observance of chastity is comparable to irrigating it.

“Perfection through dedicated practice” –– is a universal truth of life. Creativity of the inner self keeps it vibrant and energetic with the vital charge of prāna. Mind and body can also be kept healthy and youthful by regular exercises in proper order. Using the intellectual potentials through appropriate mental exercises is another important means for enhancement of mental powers –– including memory. We present below some such exercises or modes of sharpening the memory:

  1. Take a pack of cards and select five cards of the same color. Look at these cards carefully about five times then close the eyes and remove one of these cards at random. Now open the eyes and try to recall which one is missing. If you are unable to recognize rightly, look at the cards again and repeat. In case you are able to identify the missing card correctly, repeat the exercise on another set of five cards. Being successful for several times, attempt the game with another set of cards while looking at them only four or lesser number of times before removing a card. On having practiced successfully with five cards while looking at them just once, try repeating the game with six cards. Continue increasing the number of cards and reducing the times of exposure. After regular practice for several days, this game should then be played with cards of different colors. It is a simple but effective exercise for activating the otherwise dormant memory.

  2. Take a picture or painting that depicts several items in different shapes of a single color. Look at it carefully for about one minute and keep it away; then recall what all you saw and write down the list of items. Compare this list with the original picture. If you had forgotten more than 60% of the items, increase the duration of the first exposure till your list starts matching almost completely with the picture. Having performed well this way with several different types of scenes, gradually reduce the time of exposure and practice till you are able to recall correctly what you saw at first sight lasting for about 2 to 4 seconds only. From day one onwards, practice with two to three pictures per day would be sufficient. New sets of pictures should be used every day; comics, magazines, paintings or posters available in your house, work-place or with friends and neighbors can serve the purpose.

After perfecting the above exercise with single colored pictures, try the same on multi-colored ones; successively extend the attempt to recall even the positions and sizes of various items seen. Regular practice for several days would start showing positive effects in terms of improvement of memory.

  1. Collect several things, such as - two to four types of pens, flowers, buttons, knives, pins, chocolates etc, at one place. Look at them attentively. Then close the eyes and try to identify –– “What is kept where?”. If you are not able to recall all of them in correct order of their location, reduce the number of items. Commence with about ten to twelve items of different types or a lesser number, which enables you recall the positions of each item correctly. Practice with two or three different sets of this type. Increase the number of items gradually till 30 or so. Extend this practice to wider domains of visual perceptions. For instance, just after one look at a garden or group of people try instantly recollecting the number of trees or persons you saw!

Professional burglars have excellent memory of this sort. With the help of a matchstick or torch lit for few seconds, they keenly see the internal design and organization of the spotted house and draw its clear image in their mind. Just with the help of this mental image, they move in the house in dark and perform all operations as easily as if there was light everywhere.

  1. Similar to those with the visuals, the exercises involving audio-perceptions are also quite essential for sharpening of memory. An easy practice for this is as follows: stand at a noisy place such as an open market or a busy road; concentrate your mind on a particular type of sound –– say that of a car. Listen to this sound reaching you from different directions and different distances. Close your eyes, deepen your concentration on this sound alone and guess about the distance, speed and direction of the associated object and its movement.

  2. This exercise could also be performed with the help of a gramophone or cassette player by listening to the records of chit-chats during a party or that of orchestra music with songs; here again, focus your attention on one particular voice or sound so deeply that everything else would appear in the background and you would be able to recall clearly what you had heard from it. Listen to long complicated sentences just once and try reproducing them in writing. Increase the length and complexity of the sentences or paragraphs gradually as you improve recalling them.

[To be concluded in the next issue with more tips]

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Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.
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God, our Creator, has stored within our minds and personalities, great potential, strength and ability. Prayer helps us tap and develop these powers.
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The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.
- C. S. Lewis

Fear not for the future, weep not for the past.
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In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.
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Everything about the future is uncertain,
But one thing is sure: God has already arranged all our tomorrows…
We just have to TRUST HIM TODAY AND IN THIS MATTER YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE UTMOST PATIENCE!!

America’s John Jacob Astor possessed dogged determination to work hard and to maintain honesty. It helped him rise and become one of the leading multi-millionaires of America. Astor actually started his career as a small businessman trading in tea and sandalwood on a small scale. His integrity won him widespread support and cooperation in the business world. Astor kept expanding his business bit by bit which eventually grew into a grand business empire of America. Astor bought a country estate in New York and established permanent headquarter there to manage his ever expanding business. The business he started has now spread across many countries.