Scout says,“Memory is a mechanism to revive, relieve and recall past musings. In course of this exercise past thoughts come calling in same sequence as one in which these thoughts were acquired in first place.”
According to Dumbil, “Memory is foundation stone of a man’s ideas and imagination.”
Definition of memory
Memory is also considered as 5th of mind’s facets. It implies withholding mentally. Memory keeps our past experience in kitty. It is that power that stores, processes, and puts to use our brushes with life. Moments lived by and retained in man’s conscious mind constitute memory, and it is inextricably linked with life. Indeed, it is most complicated of all life activities. Generally man with good memory is taken to be wise. Many a people worldwide over made a mark for themselves exclusively on count of their prodigious memory. Our second Prime Minister Mr. Lal Bahadur Shashtri was one such icon. Once he was slated to give a speech, but found written text of his speech missing at the 11th hour. Nevertheless he went ahead and spoke whatsoever he remembered of his prepared text. But lost papers were found soon and it transpired that Shashtriji hadn’t forgotten a single word of it. Napoleon Bonaparte too had a taut memory and remembered antecedents of all his soldiers.
What is memory?
Retaining our existential feeling and impression is memory. On this faculty alone rests our body of knowledge, culture, history past events and behavioural pattern. If this goes amiss we may not even know who we are, where we come from and where on earth is our hearth and home. Memory though is linked inseperably to our subconscious mind. Says Dumbil, “Memory is significant to every field of life. Minus memory from mind and you have a man behaving like animal, not recognising his own parents, siblings and close relatives, and doing unthinkable in whatsoever he does.’’
Types of memory
There are two distinct kind of memory in us. One—Habit memory. Two—Image memory.
When a piece of work is done over and over again, it becomes a habit on account of repetitions. This is Habit memory with obvious disadvantage that it is based on cramming exercise. What is learned with monotonous repetitions though impinges on memory, it fails to connect with logical reasoning. For example counting of number or recitation of table numbers in class room situation. This exercise by student is mechanical—devoid of musings. The child’s utterance may be apt and sequential, but he himself is not aware what his learning stands for in domain of his current knowledge.
Image memory, according to psychologists, is a superior kind of memory. The learner, by way of image memory, exercises his mind creating a lasting image or impression on it. And using this very impression, he/she makes it easy to recall the memorised text/contents. This kind of memory is significant in the field of art, literature, and science.
