Thoughts on Memory
You know the old saying — “an elephant never forgets.” Whether that’s true or not, it is clear that the mind of an animal can be substantially large in its learning capacity, using memory to perform amazingly in many ways.
With humans, we’ve discovered that memory can be shut down, temporarily or permanently, depending on how traumatic the remembered event was. People have protected themselves subconsciously by disengaging the memory. The mind sometimes seems to play tricks on us by confusing one memory with another. Sometimes this causes the person to be unable to function in society. What seems to be a problem with memory can actually be a problem with the processing of information going into the mind.
Memory can be adversely affected by a variety of things, such as medication, diet, attention when an event occurs and more. For me, the latter is most prominent in my life. I have ADD and if I’m not paying attention, I don’t remember. On the other hand, I have a fantastic memory for things that I’m engaged with.
The mind is complex in its capabilities, but without memory it cannot perform even the simplest of tasks. The body depends on memory to function. How would we brush our teeth if we couldn’t remember the process of adding the toothpaste, wetting the toothbrush, putting it in our mouths, scrubbing the teeth and the rinsing? Such daily tasks are overlooked in importance because they become mundane repetitions in our memory. A person who is preoccupied may not even recall the task of brushing the teeth.
Animals have a sense that allows them to remember whether or not a person has been cruel to them. They may store the information in their memory and act upon it at a later time, sometimes unsuspectingly getting their revenge. A dog being trained for police work has to remember which person in uniform is its master. It has to retain enough information to perform acceptably in each working situation, even when dangerous. The dog has to remember many types of scents and commands.
Miniature horses have been trained to lead the blind around noisy, busy environments. The horse must have adequate memory to pass the necessary requirements to be a guide animal. The blind person’s life depends upon the memory of the miniature horse every day and night for as long as they are together.
A blind person must have the ability to use other senses besides their eyes. Their memories have to be capable of helping them function in their own homes. If something is out of place, their routines will suffer, and possibly an injury will occur.
The memory is the storage capacity of the mind. Often neglected, often unappreciated until something occurs to help us take notice of just how important it is to our well-being.
