Oblivion and other corners of memory

Oblivion and other corners of memory

It happens to all of us. We try to remember a name, an event or a place and there is no way that comes to our mind. We look for strategies trying to associate it with something or we even go to ask for the favors of the occasional saint ... and nothing Where do the lost memories go? Why does oblivion appear?

Did you know that to live, we must forget? Oblivion is an intrinsic and inseparable function of memory. In the next lines, we will explain it to you.

"The advantage of having a bad memory is that one can enjoy the same things several times as if it were the first time."

-Friedrich Nietzsche-

Does oblivion have a function?

Undoubtedly yes. Oblivion is something natural and essential for memory and, with it, intelligence, to function properly. Our brain is a complex machine that uses the law of minimum energy expenditure for its operation.

If we were not able to forget the details considered insignificant or the unnecessary information of our perceptions, we could not establish general concepts about what surrounds us. We would be continually overwhelmed with data from our senses. On the other hand, we would be blocked by the overload of stimuli and information.

This also means that memory is selective and that we tend to remember those events that for one reason or another have greater relevance in our life or that at any given time impacted us. For the most psychoanalysts, oblivion also has the function of displacing ungrateful or traumatic memories, allowing the psyche to function normally.

"Forgetting bad things is also having a good memory, said Martin Fierro."

-Facundo Cabral-

Theories about forgetting

Since forgetting can condition our life at any given time, it is a phenomenon that has been studied scientifically since the birth of psychology. In fact, the first studies date back to the end of the 19th century, when the psychologist Ebbinghaus investigated the subject, concluding that people functioned with a "forgetting curve".

According to this curve, forgetting is much greater and faster in the first hours after the fact to remember. What we manage to save there will remain constant for a longer time. Then it will decrease very slowly until you remember only details or complete oblivion.

Cognitive theories speak of the fact that forgetting occurs because the imprint left by a memory gradually weakens if we do not use it, and may disappear. There is also talk that forgetting is caused by the interference of some memories with others. That is, when a new memory tries to make a dent in our memory, it is blocked or distorted by previous learning.

«Memory is like the bad friend; when you need it most, it fails you ».

-Saying-

And returning to the most Freudian psychoanalysis, oblivion is given by the repression of memory, as a defense mechanism against undesirable events. However, that repressed information may return in the form of unintended lapses, dreams or other manifestations.

Causes of forgetting

We have talked so far about "everyday" oblivion, which affects us on a daily basis. There are however fiercest forms of forgetfulness, which can prevent the person from doing his ordinary life. We speak in those cases of the following.

Amnesia: It is the total or partial loss of memory caused by a physical injury, the experience of a traumatic event or the use of drugs. It can last from a few minutes to several years.

Dissociative States: Mental processes are separated from the physical body. So, while it lasts, we have no way of remembering what happened.

Alzheimer's disease: Caused by neuronal degeneration, this disease leads to a rapid progression of memory loss, together with a global physical and mental deterioration. As Arnedo, Bebibre and Triviño (2013) affirm, Alzheimer's disease can affect different aspects: memory, language, Spatio-temporal disorientation, apraxias, agnosias, and abstract and logical reasoning. The authors state that "the first signs of deterioration in Alzheimer's disease are detected in the medial temporal lobe and affect the entorhinal cortex, the para-hippocampal gyrus, and the hippocampus."

Korsakoff syndrome: It is a syndrome that chronic alcoholics usually suffer. Memory disorders, repetitions of a story told a thousand times, problems remembering recent events. As the Irelis González (2017) team states in their article «Korsakoff psychosis, about an interesting case»: «it is one of the most frequent causes of amnesia. It is characterized by mental confusion, deterioration of recent memory and collusion. It is due to the deficiency of thiamine or vitamin B1 «.

"There are no more active and vigorous memories than those that hide behind the mysterious veil of amnesia."

-Federico Andahazi-

In short, forgetting is a phenomenon as useful as it is hateful, although there are always tricks to deceive it and improve memory. Have you experienced forgetting on what occasions? What things do you forget most easily?