MEMORY IS A HUMAN FACILITY THAT IS SO EXTRAORDINARY IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE NOT HAVING IT

Memory is the mental activity of recalling information that you have learned or experienced. It encompasses a complex process that involves many different parts of the brain and serves us in different ways. Another wonderful "Complete Idiot’s Guide to Improving Your Memory" by Michael Kurland and Richard Lupoff explains in great but simple detail what this facility is and how to improve it. Human memory can be short-term or long-term. In Short-term memory, your mind stores information for a few seconds or a few minutes. It is very fragile. Long-term memory is where you make an effort (conscious or unconscious) to retain the information, because it’s personally meaningful to you. Some information that you store in long-term memory requires a conscious effort to recall: episodic memories, which are personal memories about experiences you’ve had at specific times.

Certain areas of the brain are the key parts in memory processing. They include: the hippocampus, a primitive structure deep in the brain; the amygdala, an almond-shaped area near the hippocampus, processes emotion and helps imprint memories that involve emotion; the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of the brain, stores most long-term memory; in addition, memory involves communication among the brain’s network of neurons, millions of cells activated by brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. There are several stages of memory foundation: maintenance, acquisition, new information, consolidation. If you’ve concentrated well enough to encode new information in your brain, the hippocampus sends a signal to store the information as long-term memory. Then comes retrieval.When you need to recall information, your brain has to activate the same pattern of nerve cells it used to store it.

Certain elements are required for optimum brain health and excellence. They include: B vitamins, especially B6, B12, and folic acid (spinach and other dark leafy greens); Antioxidants like vitamins C and E, and beta carotene. (blueberries and other berries, sweet potatoes, red tomatoes); Omega-3 fatty acids (cold-water fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, halibut, and mackerel). Memory, like muscular strength, is a “use it or lose it” proposition. The more you work out your brain, the better you’ll be able to process and remember information. In addition to exercising your brain, there are some basic things you can do to improve your ability to retain and retrieve memories: pay attention, tailor information acquisition, involve as many senses as possible, relate information to what you already know. Organize information, rehearse information frequently and over-learn, be motivated and keep a positive attitude. For all who are older, the hippocampus and other processes are especially vulnerable to age-related deterioration. Do not be deterred or discouraged by this as you can overcome many of these by compensating in a different way.