Why memory is important to people. Development of memory and speed reading

- Every time you can’t remember a name or the name of a place, make a note in your diary.
- What if I can’t remember about the diary?..

In this article, we will introduce you to the principles of memory, talk about techniques for memorizing and retrieving memories, share exercises, recommendations from scientists, and unexpected facts about memory. You will definitely remember this :)

How memory works

Did you know that the very word “memory” misleads us? It makes it seem like we're talking about one thing, one mental skill. But over the past fifty years, scientists have discovered that there are several different memory processes. For example, we have short-term and long-term memory.

Everyone knows that short term memory used when you need to hold a thought in your mind for about a minute (for example, a telephone number you are about to call). At the same time, it is very important not to think about anything else - otherwise you will immediately forget the number. This statement is true for both young and old people, but for the latter its relevance is still slightly higher. Short-term memory is involved in various processes, for example, it is used to track changes in numbers during addition or subtraction.

Long term memory b is responsible for everything that we need in more than a minute, even if during this period you were distracted by something else. Long-term memory is divided into procedural and declarative.

1. Procedural memory concerns activities such as riding a bicycle or playing the piano. Once you have learned to do this, subsequently your body will simply repeat the necessary movements - and this is controlled by procedural memory.
2. Declarative memory, in turn, is involved in the conscious retrieval of information, for example when you need to retrieve a shopping list. This type of memory can be either verbal (verbal) or visual (visual) and is divided into semantic and episodic memory.

• Semantic memory refers to the meaning of concepts (particularly people's names). Let us assume that knowledge of what a bicycle is belongs to this type of memory.
• Episodic memory- to events. For example, knowing when you are last time went for a bike ride, appeals to your episodic memory. Part of episodic memory is autobiographical - it concerns various events and life experiences.

Finally we got to prospective memory- it refers to things you are going to do: call a car service, or buy a bouquet of flowers and visit your aunt, or clean the cat's litter box.

How memories are formed and returned

Memory is a mechanism that causes impressions received in the present to influence us in the future. For the brain, new experiences mean spontaneous neural activity. When something happens to us, clusters of neurons come into action, transmitting electrical impulses. Gene work and protein production create new synapses and stimulate the growth of new neurons.

But the process of forgetting is similar to how snow falls on objects, covering them with itself, from which they become white-white - so much so that you can no longer distinguish where everything was.

The impulse that triggers the retrieval of a memory - an internal (thought or feeling) or external event - causes the brain to associate it with an incident from the past. works as a kind of predictive device: it constantly prepares for the future based on the past. Memories condition our perception of the present by providing a “filter” through which we look and automatically assume what will happen next.

The mechanism for retrieving memories has an important property. It has only been thoroughly studied in the last twenty-five years: when we retrieve an encoded memory from internal storage, it is not necessarily recognized as something from the past.

Let's take cycling for example. You get on a bike and just ride, and clusters of neurons fire in your brain that allow you to pedal, balance, and brake. This is one type of memory: an event in the past (trying to learn to ride a bike) influenced your behavior in the present (you ride it), but you do not experience today's bike ride as a memory of the first time you managed to do it.

If we ask you to remember the very first time you rode a bicycle, you will think, scan your memory storage, and, say, you will have an image of your dad or older sister who were running after you, you will remember the fear and pain from the first fall or the delight that you managed to get to the nearest turn. And you will know for sure that you are remembering something from the past.

Two types of memory processing are closely related in our everyday life. Those that help us pedal are called implicit memories, and the ability to remember the day we learned to ride is called explicit memories.

Master of mosaics

We have short-term working memory, a slate of consciousness, on which we can place a picture at any given moment. And, by the way, it has a limited capacity where the images present in the foreground of consciousness are stored. But there are other types of memory.

In the left hemisphere, the hippocampus generates factual and linguistic knowledge; in the right - organizes the “building blocks” of life history by time and topics. All this work makes the memory “search engine” more efficient. The hippocampus can be compared to a jigsaw puzzle: it connects individual fragments of images and sensations of implicit memories into complete “pictures” of factual and autobiographical memory.

If the hippocampus is suddenly damaged, for example due to a stroke, memory will also be impaired. Daniel Siegel told this story in his book: “Once at a dinner with friends, I met a man with this problem. He politely told me that he had had several bilateral hippocampal strokes and asked me not to be offended if I went away for a second to get myself some water and he didn’t remember me later. And sure enough, I returned with a glass in my hands, and we introduced ourselves to each other again.”

Like some types of sleeping pills, alcohol is notorious for temporarily shutting down our hippocampus. However, the state of blackout caused by alcohol is not the same as temporary loss of consciousness: the person is conscious (although incapacitated), but does not encode what is happening in explicit form. People experiencing such memory lapses may not remember how they got home or how they met the person with whom they woke up in the same bed in the morning.

The hippocampus also shuts down when angry, and people who suffer from uncontrollable rage are not necessarily lying when they claim not to remember what they said or did in this altered state of consciousness.

How to test your memory

Psychologists use different techniques to test memory. Some of them can be done independently at home.

1. Verbal memory test. Ask someone to read 15 words to you (only unrelated words: “bush, bird, hat”, etc.). Repeat them: people under 45 usually remember about 7-9 words. Then listen to this list four more times. Norm: reproduce 12–15 words. Go about your business and after 15 minutes repeat the words (but only from memory). Most middle-aged people cannot reproduce more than 10 words.
2. Visual memory test. Draw this complex diagram, and after 20 try to draw it from memory. The more details you remember, the better your memory is.

How memory is related to the senses

According to scientist Michael Merzenich, “One of the most important conclusions drawn from the results of the recent study is that the senses (hearing, vision, and others) are closely related to memory and cognitive abilities. Because of this interdependence, the weakness of one often means, or even causes, the weakness of the other.

For example, it is known that patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease gradually lose their memory. And one of the manifestations of this disease is that they begin to eat less. It turned out that since the symptoms of this disease include visual impairment, patients (among other reasons) simply do not see food...

Another example concerns normal age-related changes cognitive activity. As a person ages, he becomes more and more forgetful and absent-minded. This is largely explained by the fact that the brain no longer processes sensory signals as well as before. As a result, we lose the ability to retain new visual images of our experiences as clearly as before, and we subsequently have trouble using and retrieving them.”

By the way, it is curious that exposure to blue light enhances the response to emotional stimuli of the hypothalamus and amygdala, that is, the areas of the brain responsible for organizing attention and memory. So looking at all shades of blue is helpful.

Techniques and exercises for memory training

The first and most important thing you need to know to have a good memory is. Studies have shown that the hippocampus, responsible for spatial memory, is enlarged in taxi drivers. This means that the more often you engage in activities that use your memory, the better you improve it.

And also here are a few more techniques that will help you develop your memory, improve your ability to remember and remember everything you need.

1. Go crazy!

With this type of amnesia, a person forgets things that just happened to him.

In everyday life we ​​often complain about bad memory, and when we forget to buy or do something, we say “memory has faded.” But what does it really feel like to lose your memory, not remember what you just did, what you said, where you went? Why do we need memory at all, and what do we lose when we lose it completely or partially?

By memory call the property of the human psyche to record and store information received from the outside. Thanks to this mental function We may use this information from time to time, i.e. remember it when necessary. And this is very important, so we can use our life experience.

Memory – a very complex function that consists of many components. This is how they distinguish between motor, emotional, figurative and verbal-logical; voluntary and involuntary; short-term and long-term types of memory. This complexity probably determines that memory may periodically fail and some information becomes impossible to retrieve and use.

Partial or complete loss of memory is called amnesia. It can be temporary or permanent. Memory disorders can appear for a variety of reasons and take different forms.

Among the causes of amnesia are injuries, tumors, blockage of blood vessels supplying certain areas of the brain with blood, abuse of alcohol and tranquilizers, mental illness. All this can lead to temporary memory lapses or complete loss.

Depending on how much information is lost, there are several types of amnesia.

• Retrograde amnesia– events that occurred before the onset of memory loss are forgotten.
• Anterograde amnesia. The person remembers what happened to him before, but cannot remember what happened to him after the onset of the disease. Atherograde memory loss can occur simultaneously with retrograde memory loss, leading to complete memory loss.
• congrade amnesia, when the memory does not record events that occurred during the shutdown of consciousness.
• In addition, there are:
• Fixation amnesia. With this type of amnesia, the memory does not “record” information about events that just happened.
• Childhood amnesia– lack of memories of early childhood.
• Traumatic amnesia occurs as a result of head injury.
• Psychogenic amnesia. A person completely forgets all information about himself under the influence of severe emotional stress.

Fixation amnesia

This is a type of memory impairment when a person cannot remember recently received information, i.e. what just happened to him is not stored in his memory. The last few minutes of life are not recorded. At the same time, the memory of what happened before, before the onset of the disease, is not impaired. Such a person knows who he is, remembers the professional skills he once acquired, but is not able to remember what he just said or did. This creates great difficulty in navigating current situations. But the person’s personality is still preserved.

In some cases, memory replaces information about recent events, actions and conversations with fictitious memories. This phenomenon is called confabulation.

Total memory loss, if it really exists, is a sign of deep organic damage to the brain.

Stovburg

Yaroslav Vladimirovich

narcologist, Kyiv Ask your question

Confabulations fill gaps in memory, and events from the past can be passed off as having just happened. A person with this memory disorder can confidently say that he just came from work, returned from a walk, or talked with a friend, although all this happened a long time ago. It is also possible that fictitious events that did not happen in real life are passed off as what just happened.

Fixation amnesia can occur with cerebral atherosclerosis and traumatic brain injury, but most often it manifests itself as part of Korsakoff's syndrome.

Korsakoff's syndrome - a severe form of amnesia

The cause of the development of this syndrome may be alcohol intoxication, brain tumor, carbon dioxide poisoning, lack of vitamin B1, cerebrovascular accident, and traumatic brain injury. Usually, with Korsakoff's syndrome, fixation amnesia “turns on” simultaneously with retrograde and anterograde, resulting in complete disorientation of the person.

As a result of prolonged alcohol abuse, a psychoorganic syndrome often develops, which manifests itself as dementia: memory loss, etc.

Leontyev

Alexey Yurievich

neurosurgeon, Kherson Ask your question

Most often, Korsakoff's syndrome is a chronic condition, but in some cases, amnesia can occur in attacks and disappear after a while. So, for example, if Korsakov's syndrome is caused by intoxication, then over time it is possible to restore memory.

Take care of your memory, remember that it preserves our individual experience. Violation of such an important mental function as memory can make a person completely defenseless, unable to live in society. Therefore, timely consultation with a doctor and adequate treatment with the use of nootropics (piracetam) and other drugs that improve cerebral circulation (vasobral) are necessary.

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Salikhova Malika, Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan city, MBOU "Lyceum No. 177", 8 "A" class.

Head: Ramilya Zinatullovna Dasova, teacher of Russian language and literature of the highest qualification category

Without memory we would exist for moments. Our past would be dead to the future. The present, as it passes, would irrevocably disappear into the past.

S. L. Rubinstein

What is memory? Why does a person need it? According to S.I. Ozhegov’s dictionary, memory is “the ability to preserve and reproduce in consciousness previous impressions, experiences, as well as the very stock of impressions stored in consciousness.”

A person always needs memory. Growing up, we often remember our childhood. At school, thanks to memory, we answer teachers’ questions. During the holidays, having visited another city, another country, we try to remember and then convey to others our impressions of what we saw, historical monuments, and living people. All this broadens our horizons, makes us richer inner world, helps to become more interesting to others.

Memory connects the past with the present. Man lives not only in the present, but also in the past and in the future. And all this thanks to memory. Our generation knows both from history lessons and from our grandfathers about the terrible days of the Great Patriotic War. We are proud of our ancestors and will always remember their glorious feat! After all, this is the history of our country, we must know it, it must be passed on from generation to generation. We must remember this in order to prevent anything like this from happening in the future. We must remember this all our lives, just like how in the first grade we were taught to write letters, put words together, read... We remembered this and will never forget it.

It is clear that now a person can use various gadgets that remember information in such a way that the person does not have to bother. It turns out that a person remembers not the information itself, but where and how to get it. Is this good? Why does a person need an empty head with no memory? It is this problem, in my opinion, that Chingiz Aitmatov raises in his famous novel “Burnaya Stopstak” (“And the day lasts longer than a century”). In the work, an inserted plot is the legend of the mankurts, about the terrible punishment to which the prisoners were subjected. They put raw camel skin on their heads and left the poor people under the scorching rays of the sun. The skin dried out, and in unbearable pain the person lost his memory. From that moment on, he did not remember anything: neither his father, nor his mother, nor his homeland. He became an obedient and dutiful slave. In terrible despair, the mother of such a mankurt, Naiman-Ana, exclaims: “You can take away the land, you can take away the wealth, you can take away the life... But who came up with the idea, who dares to encroach on human memory?! Oh God, if you exist, how did you inspire this in people? Is there not enough evil on earth even without this? It is impossible to read these lines without shuddering! After reading this novel, I realized that human memory is a priceless gift that needs to be protected and developed.

I would like to conclude my essay with the words of the famous English physiologist Gray Walter: “Memory is not a coin thrown on the table, but a burning candle.” Take care of your memory, let it “burn” as long as possible!

So, why do you need to improve your memory? Funny question, you say. After all, everyone knows what it is good memory. However, many people perceive their memory in an extremely simplified way, and therefore do not understand how its development affects other abilities. Their logic boils down to the following arguments:
Will your ability to memorize improve? But I already remember everything I need. I have already fully adapted to my abilities, phone numbers are stored in my cell phone, if you need something more complex, you can write it down. Since the memory problems have already been somehow resolved, there is no need to waste time on it. In the end, the main thing is not memory, but thinking, intelligence, and the ability to process information.

Most people think that by improving their memory they will turn their head into a camera or tape recorder, and do not see other advantages. But the development of memory is not only memory, but also thinking, imagination, attention, and much more, without which effective human mental activity is unthinkable.

So, what does a person achieve by training his memory?

1. Attention. The need to control the course of your thoughts, constant concentration on objects of memorization leads to improved attention. As a result, it becomes easier for a person to concentrate on current affairs and problems; his life becomes much more organized and less susceptible to interference.

2. Thinking. The development of memory also improves thinking due to the fact that you constantly have to work with mental objects and come up with associations connecting them. As a result, associative thinking develops - responsible for generalization and abstraction and visual-figurative use, which helps a holistic perception of reality and intuitive problem solving. Well, of course, just the ability to memorize helps thinking. If all the necessary facts are at hand, then in the process of thinking there is less need to linger on solving secondary problems to obtain the necessary information. It’s no secret: by the time you find the information you need, you’ll forget why it’s needed. Especially if you are looking for it using the Internet, you come across so many interesting things along the way that the search process turns out to be “more important” than the result, and when you find what you are looking for, you already forget where it all began.

3. Imagination and creative activity. The associations invented by the mnemonist are often unusual and absurd. By connecting objects you have to create the incredible. Already after some time after starting classes, you can notice that when solving your problems you begin to use methods that previously seemed too non-standard. And intractable problems suddenly get a simple and elegant solution.

4. Protecting the human brain from age-related changes. What we don't use, we lose. This is clearly seen in the example of human physical abilities. No matter how good physical fitness you were not if you lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not give your body physical activity, then after a while the muscles will atrophy and become flabby, shortness of breath will appear, and a bunch of other problems related to the heart, blood pressure, etc. If you lead an active lifestyle, take long walks, go to the pool or gym, then health problems can be avoided. The same applies to the mental capabilities of the body. It is widely believed that a person's mental abilities decline with age. Research shows that this is often what happens. But the deterioration of human abilities is not so irreversible. If you continue to use your brain and give it a workout, then at least its condition will not worsen. The deterioration of brain abilities can be prevented by solving crossword puzzles or logic problems. By performing exercises to develop memory, you can also prevent the deterioration of mental abilities - memory, concentration, thinking, etc.

As we can see, the development of memory helps not only memory, but also promotes harmonious development other human abilities.
You can learn all this and more at "School of Speed ​​Reading and Information Management Vasilyeva L.L."

Speed ​​reading programs help develop not only reading speed but also memory. With the help of special exercises and techniques, you can significantly improve your memory.

Why does a person need a good memory?

So little time, so many good books. Sometimes it is sorely lacking even for planned activities, not to mention even books. And the reading process itself, although fascinating, also takes time. If you have a desire to master popular and effective techniques speed reading, with the help of which you will learn to literally “swallow” even the largest books, we offer several of them.

There are many things that we simply don’t notice in the rush and bustle of life. Which of us rejoices every morning that he has two arms and two legs? And who rejoices in the fact that he remembers his name, the names of all his loved ones, their habits, preferences, his promises? It is no exaggeration to say that memory is what a person’s life rests on. Personal life, career, health... basically everything.

Hence the logical conclusion - the more developed your memory is, the higher the quality of your life will be.

It is not difficult to achieve success in any field, you just need to make sure that your memory does not fail you. right moment. And it will not let you down if you decide to start studying courses on speed reading and memory development, and perform a variety of exercises to develop memory .

Nowadays it is no longer enough to own information approximately and partially. Requirement modern peace - tenacious mind, good memory , the ability to quickly absorb and process new information.

If you are solving a problem and don't find a solution enough for a long time, which means you need to change the solution method or pose a different problem. There are no exercises to develop speed reading skills, but there are exercises to enhance interest in life.

People are lazy and don't want to use a search engine. Ready to pay for nonsense instead of asking a question and getting it from the know-it-all - Google.

Constructing internal and external monologues so that they are interesting and artistic is also a very valuable practice. speed reading for children

Learning foreign languages ​​is a valuable practice. By mastering foreign languages, you master your native language. At the same time, you master effective reading and fast reading.

We all read differently and using different technical means.

Let's say you are reading the fairy tale "The Three Little Pigs." It can be presented in the form of three paintings: 1) three little pigs in a clearing (without a roof over their heads), 2) three houses and 3) the final scene with a wolf. To these pictures you can add two or three other key scenes. Be sure to imagine the last picture of the story - the triumph of the piglets.

As practice shows, having mastered this simple technique, people can retain in memory and easily reproduce anything in a conversation - a presentation, business stories, etc.

There is another similar memorization option. The famous scientist Luria studied Shereshevsky, who has phenomenal memorization abilities. Shereshevsky used a very simple technique: he imagined a street that he knew to the smallest detail, and mentally placed along it what he wanted to remember.

While reading the Ukrainian text, I realized that I was using the same reading strategies as when reading in Russian. For example, I noticed that I read in blocks of words. Possibly in Russian and partly in something familiar to me English, but completely unacceptable for Ukrainian.

Fast reading does not come on its own through individual practice. It comes to those who lead a creative life, communicate in every possible way with others and with themselves, and in the process of this communication develop all aspects of their mind, their soul.