Memory has been on my mind lately.
Have you ever noticed how our memories are so selective? The things we choose to recall as opposed to all the other things we choose to forget? It is really difficult to remember everything in full detail even when we have an epic experience.
I understand that it would be brutal to recall all the trauma we have been through in detail. And that is one way our selective memory serves us. Sometimes, forgetting things can be in our own best interest, and yes for sure that is a blessing.
I have always wondered why we take photos when they are not even giving us the memory of an experience in its entirety? To freeze a moment in time? What is the point?
Then there is also the idea of the collective memory. Most of what we have in our collective memory is a fabrication. Historical and archeological data cannot be verified without a shadow of a doubt and are based on reconstructions, best guesses, and methods that can be proven inefficient in a heartbeat. It is nice to know where we came from and sort of have an idea of our past, but it would be difficult to know everything without a shadow of a doubt…
Research has shown that our memories are flawed , and no matter what we do remember, we usually embellish it with something or the other that was not in our actual experience.
Then there is the whole idea of our own personal perspective, and how we would have a completely different memory of the same event than someone else would…
So, what is the best possible way to preserve a memory?
According to neuroscience, write it down as soon as you can, or produce a piece of art that documents the event or experience. I do not think that taking a photo would help tell about an entire experience but hey a video maybe your second best bet!
I still have a nagging question though, if we want to transcend the illusion of this physical dimension, how does keeping our past preserved in little snippets that do not even give us the complete story serve us?