Human memory is one of the most puzzling mysteries of science. Neuroscientists and psychologists have suggested many theories for its mechanism, but substantiating these theories with concrete evidence is difficult. How do our brains enable us to remember?
The first step in creating memories is encoding them into the brain.
We remember through Processing
Processing information in different ways alters the way they are stored in the brain.
We remember through Visual Encoding
Visualizing or seeing information can aid in a persons' encoding and recall.
We remember through Acoustic Encoding
Auditory stimuli are a common method of encoding memories.
We remember through Semantic encoding
Deeper understanding is the most effective way to remember information.
We store memories in multiple storage levels.
We store memory in our sensory memory
Sensory memory is a very brief storing of sensory information.
We store memory in our working memory
When information is received by the brain, it is stored in our working memory for a moderate time period before becoming ingrained long-term.
We store memory in our long term memory
Long term memory is the ultimate destination in the brain for information that needs to be recalled and accessed for extended periods of time.
Perhaps the most relevant aspect of memory to our daily lives is remembering information.
The memory process of Retrieval
Our brain accesses the information we have stored through retrieval.
Forgetting as a memory process
Unfortunately, memories don't stay forever, and when our brain can no longer store them we forget information.
Improving memory
Recalling and utilizing information is crucial to our lives, and many strategies can help improve memory storage and recall.
Emotions can play a powerful role in memory formation and retrieval.
Flashbulb memories
Flashbulb memories are an example of an emotional experience effecting memory systems.
Our senses, especially smell, can greatly influence our memories.
Smell and memory
Our sense of smell is intimately linked with the memory mechanisms in our brains.
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This page was last edited on Monday, 16 Nov 2020 at 08:22 UTC
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