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The author of Why We Remember is Charan Ranganath.

Personal Development

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Name: Why We Remember
Rating: 4.3 (181 reviews)
Author: Charan Ranganath

Charan Ranganath

Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters

4.3 (181 ratings)

19 mins

Topics

Self-Help The Brain General Knowledge Mental Health Learning

Table of Contents

Why We Remember
Summary of 7 key ideas

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What’s in it for me? Journey through the captivating intricacies of memory.

Memory is a profound force that lies at the heart of our identities and daily decisions. Our memories impact everything from our career choices and relationships to our core beliefs and values. Memories influence how we perceive the world and make sense of our experiences. Remarkably, our happiness and satisfaction depend on our memories – not from what we’ve actually experienced, but from how we remember our experiences.

In essence, our “remembering selves” are continuously molding our thoughts, emotions, and actions –⁠ often without our conscious awareness.

In this Blink, we’ll unravel the hidden forces of memory that shape our identities, relationships, and social realities. You’ll gain insights into the fundamental mechanisms of memory, the reasons behind forgetting, and strategies for remembering what truly matters.

Beyond that, you’ll explore the malleable nature of memory and how our personal memories intertwine with those of others to form the fabric of human experience.

The science of remembering –⁠ and forgetting

Have you ever wondered why some memories stick with us for decades while others seem to vanish without a trace? The answer lies in how the human brain’s memory systems evolved to prioritize essential information and adapt to changing environments.

Our brains are bombarded with more information daily than we could ever hope to store. In order to ease this cognitive overload, our brains essentially “vote” on what details to remember. More specifically, our brains create connections between cells, and these collections decide what to hold onto based on what sustains our attention amid the onslaught of stimuli.

This voting process allows us to efficiently perceive and prioritize the most relevant details in our environments –⁠ such as distinguishing speech sounds while tuning out background noise. It also causes routine events to blur together over time. This is due to an intense competition that takes place between similar memories interfering with one another.

So how do you purposely turn a piece of information into an enduring memory? The key is to guide your attention and intention toward encoding distinctive details during the experience itself. Doing this requires the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that acts as a sort of central executive. It coordinates activity across the brain and sorts more important memories from less important ones.

The best way to help your prefrontal cortex order your brain to store a particular memory? Practice mindfulness. At pivotal moments, consciously pause and try to fully absorb the kaleidoscope of sensory details you’re experiencing. Focus on sight, sound, smell, texture, and emotion. This will allow for richer, more entrenched coding in your brain.

Contrary to our modern impulses, what you probably don’t want to do is take a photo or a video of the moment. Studies show that, despite our best efforts to preserve a memory, the act of recording itself can sometimes distance us from the experience. This ultimately makes the memory less vivid.

By understanding how our brain’s selective memory systems operate and applying mindful attention during experiences, we can enhance our ability to encode and retain our most meaningful moments.

Memory and time travel

The aroma of roasting chestnuts wafts up into your nostrils. Instantly, you feel yourself transported 20 years back to that magical trip to Paris, where the same smell had embraced you on your evening walks.

Memories have an almost magical ability to transport us across years and vast distances. This incredible ability to mentally time travel is a core part of how human memory works.

The secret to exceptional memory

Imagine being able to memorize the order of a newly-shuffled deck of cards in just ten minutes. Sounds like a superhuman feat, right? Actually, no. Scott Hagwood, a four-time-winner of the USA Memory Championship, can do it –⁠ but he wasn’t born with any exceptional abilities. He began training his memory at 36 years old, after receiving a cancer diagnosis. A year later, he could memorize names, poetry, card sequences, and random word-and-number sequences in just five to 15 minutes.

How is this possible? Well, having an exceptional memory isn’t about storing tons of raw data in our brains. Instead, it’s about how we structure and access that data. To that end, the memory champions’ secret is chunking. It's a strategy where large bits of information are broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks –⁠ just like we do when we memorize a phone number by breaking it down into groups of digits for area code, network provider, and so on. This technique enables us to compress data so our brains can handle more at any given time.

Surprise and curiosity

Imagine walking to the entrance of your home. On the sidewalk, you notice something lying on the ground –⁠ is that a jacket? When you step inside, your pulse quickens and your eyes dart around, noticing the furniture has been disturbed. A feeling of dread creeps in… you've been robbed!

This unsettling scenario illustrates how our memories don’t just orient us to the past. They also attune us to anything irregular unfolding in the present moment. The eerie sense that alerted you to the break-in arises from what neuroscientists call the orienting response.

Remember that time you got lost in the mall?

Imagine being able to dig deep into your mind, and tweak and reshape the memories of your past. This concept is a staple of science fiction –⁠ but it’s not so far-fetched from how human memory really operates. When recalling a memory, we actively edit it, blending past and present into something subtly, or even significantly, different from the original event.

In fact, under the influence of external suggestion or pressure, memories can be fabricated out of thin air. Take the “lost in the mall” experiment conceived by psychologist Elizabeth Loftus. Participants were presented with fabricated stories about their childhood, including one where the participant had gotten lost in a shopping mall. Over time, with subtle suggestions, a significant number of participants began to “remember” this event, filling in the blanks with details that aligned with the false narrative. Loftus showed definitively that false memories could be implanted by suggesting events that never occurred.

Learning and memory

At work, in school, and life in general, we’re taught to avoid mistakes at all costs. This is a real shame, since making mistakes is crucial for learning.

This is illustrated by the story of a college professor who was dreading having to teach his class via a virtual setup during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watching his own daughter struggle to stay engaged in her online courses, he worried about how his students would respond to remote learning. But then his own research on memory provided him with a stroke of inspiration. He decided that when it came to measuring learning achievement, he would do away with tests. Instead, he switched to weekly open-book quizzes, whereby students could review their answers afterward. His method was a success; 85 percent of his students said the quizzes greatly helped them learn.

Social influences on memory

We often think of our memories as belonging solely to us. But the truth is that they’re profoundly shaped by our social world. Memory is inherently collective, tied to our relationships and interactions with others.

From an early age, the way our families discuss shared experiences molds the stories we tell about our own lives. For instance, studies show that teenagers from families who reminisce about shared experiences together are less likely to have mental health issues like depression and anxiety. This suggests that families have an influence on the way that children’s autobiographical memories develop.

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What is Why We Remember about?

Why We Remember (2024) is an exploration of the fascinating mechanisms that underlie human memory. Challenging conventional perceptions, it presents memory as a dynamic force that not only records the past, but influences our present and future. Through engaging case studies and current scientific research, it reveals the processes that shape our ability to form lasting memories, and the factors that influence forgetting. Ultimately, it shows us how we can harness our memory for learning, healing, and growth.

Why We Remember Review

Why We Remember (2021) explores the fascinating science behind memory and forgetting, shedding light on how our minds work. Here's why this book is worth your time:

Unveils insights into memory mechanisms, helping readers understand how we remember and why we forget certain things.
Challenges common misconceptions through experiments and case studies, making the content engaging and thought-provoking.
Provides a fresh perspective on memory that sparks curiosity and offers practical applications for daily life, ensuring the topic remains anything but dull.

Who should read Why We Remember?

Anyone fascinated by the inner workings of the human brain
Individuals experiencing memory loss, and their caregivers
Students of psychology and neuroscience

About the Author

Charan Ranganath is a neuroscientist and professor at the University of California at Davis, where he directs the Memory and Plasticity Program. He is also the director of the Dynamic Memory Lab, where he uses brain imaging technologies to explore episodic memory and its mechanisms, and understand memory dysfunction in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Ranganath has received the Guggenheim Fellowship and a Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship for his contributions to neuroscience and psychology.

Categories with Why We Remember

Personal Development Education Psychology

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