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Understanding memories

Akayla Martinez

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

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Memories can be compared to building blocks. As humans, we spend

our lives creating and storing memories that shape and build us into who we

are. Memory is a vast storage for all that can be said, done, or experienced

in a lifetime. People may often decide to travel, to fulfill self-growth and

create memories. Memories shape us by evoking emotion, teaching us

something new, and giving us experiences.

The word memory comes from the Latin word memoria which means

to be mindful or remembering (memories, 2017). The definitions in many

of the other languages means something similar, to recall or to become

aware. One that stands out among the rest would be the Welsh word marth

which means sadness or anxiety (Memory, 2017). Which shows that

memories arent always associated with positivity, what builds us does not

have to be good. The word memory has been used for years, there are traces

of it being a commonly used before 1923.

Memory is how we are able to recollect past events which is done by

encoding, storing, retaining knowledge. Memories come in when we recollect

or look back on previous experiences. There are quite a few storage units

in our brains. Short-term and Long-term memory are often what is

mentioned, long-term memory can be considered the permanent storage

area. Long Term memory has three main parts Semantic, Procedural, and

Episodic (McLeod, 2010. Par 4). Short-term relates more to the memory you

use when trying to match flipped over cards or memorizing a list of numbers.

Short-term memory lasts around 15-35 seconds, it is also the beginning

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stage to encoding data and storing it in long-term memory. (McLeod, 2009.

Par 1) .

Traveling the world is a goal for many people. The reason can be to

search, grow, and experience life. While out making those experiences,

memories are being created. Everything done is stored away and can be

remembered at any moment. When looking back to access memories made

in a specific place, the Episodic memory is being accessed (Zimmermann,

2014. Par 14). This is how a person was feeling or the unique sensory details

associated with the memory created. The episodic memory could also be

compared to the feeling of nostalgia which is when a particular sight, smell,

or anything triggers a memory. Nostalgia is typically associated with feelings

of longing or wanting to relive the memory. An example of a time I

experienced nostalgia would be any time I visit back home, when I am in

certain areas all I can think about is my old best friend. We did so much

together that the places we went often bring on rushes of emotions making

me wish I could enjoy the memory over again. My brain associates certain

details with that specific person. Nostalgia could be identified in two

separate ways, Reflective nostalgia and Restorative nostalgia. Reflective

nostalgia focuses on savoring the emotions created by a past memory while

fully accepting it is in the past (MacDonald, 2016. Par 5). Restorative

nostalgia on the other hand focuses on rebuilding the past, which may cause

one to act on impulse to relive what once happened (MacDonald, 2016. Par

4).
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An interesting phenomenon associated with memory is De ja vu. De ja

vu is having the strong feeling that an event has already happened. De ja u

can be linked with multiple mental health issues, but is something that is

experienced by almost everyone. There are a few explanations for the feeling

but not an exact answer as to why this happens. Often it feels like a rush of

anxiousness and sudden incomplete recollection when de ja vu hits me

personally. De Ja Vu can be caused by being in an unfamiliar place that has

familiar objects, which makes your brain feel the familiarity when it isnt

quite there (Markman, 2010. Par 8).

When someone thinks of memories they typically think happy,

warm, or take me back to that place which is not always the case.

Episodic memory can also be related to unpleasant recollections. A disorder

related to the episodic memory would be post-traumatic stress disorder.

PTSD is related to is because victims often get triggered by familiar sensory

details surrounding them. Studies have shown that at night when we sleep

our brain goes through a process of erasing unneeded memories, in people

with PTSD that process has shown to fail. Resulting in still being able to

remember a traumatic event (Sutherland, 2013). PTSD is common in soldiers

but it does stretch out and effect much of the general population. Symptoms

of PTSD may include nightmares, flashbacks, and lack of the ability to focus

(Charles, 2013. Par 4). It is treatable but it takes time and therapy to get past

the trauma caused, and flashbacks or sudden memory can always occur with

triggers.
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There are a few illnesses linked with memory. Some cause people to

lose their memory completely. Alzheimers is the most common form of

dementia, it is a disease that directly effects the structure of the brain

(MacGill, 2016.). Alzheimers causes loss of memory, as well as losing the

ability to retain new information. While Alzheimers typically happens at an

older age, there are young sufferers. The disease is degenerative meaning is

progressively gets worse, brain cells die progressively and nerve connections

are broken. Alzheimers has three stages preclinical, mild cognitive

impairment, and dementia. The preclinical stage is where you may not have

any symptoms, Alzheimers is a genetic disease (MacGill, 2016).

Memory is a complex web and it is so fascinating in every way. Looking

back and being able to remember places you went, or people you met is

something we often take for granted. Being able to remember events that we

have experienced shapes us into the person we want to become, or make us

stronger. Self-growth is right at our fingertips, it is all about how we look at it.
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Reference:

Charles, K. (2013, July 14). Post-traumatic stress disorder affects a wide range of
people, not just soldiers.
http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/ptsd-affects-people-military-
article-1.1393098
MacDonald, H. PH.D (2016, June 23). The Two Faces of Nostalgia.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/time-travelling-apollo/201606/the-
two-faces-nostalgia
MacGill, M. (2016, April 29). Alzheimer's Disease: Causes, Symptoms and
Treatments
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159442.php
Markman, A. PH.D (2010, January 5). What Is De Ja Vu?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ulterior-motives/201001/what-is-d-j-vu
McLeod, S. A. (2009). Short-Term Memory.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/short-term-memory.html
McLeod, S. A. (2010). Long-Term Memory.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/long-term-memory.html
Memories. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
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http://www.dictionary.com/browse/memories
Memory. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved March 31,2017.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?
allowed_in_frame=0&search=memories
Sutherland, S. (2013). "Desperate to Forget." Scientific American Mind 24.1
http://search.ebscohost.com.ez1.maricopa.edu/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=pbh&AN=85603572&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Zimmermann, K. A. (2014, February 27). Memory Definition & Types of Memory.
http://www.livescience.com/43713-memory.html