Having recently passed the half century mark I could be concerned with memory by buying into popular myths and misfortunes. But this would be entirely off base. Why? Because memory has been an issue for me since childhood. My brain has never worked like most people’s do, so I had to learn techniques to cope with these challenges.
Remembering things, I have seen is really easy for me, but if I have not seen them and only read or heard them it is much harder to remember. This runs true for most people, experience is the best teacher, meaning we remember things we have directly experienced far better than stuff we have only heard or read about.
The topic of memory is quite large filling volumes of materials, so we need to condense it into a manageable space. It can also be approached from different perspectives such as memorization in an academic setting, memory for daily activities such as work (remembering names and faces), and memories of personal experiences. I will focus on the later and offer these websites to cover the other topics, Memorization for school, Memory for daily activities.
Memories of personal experiences can be enhanced using the techniques offered in the previously provided websites on memory, so I recommend reviewing them also. I would like to offer up another term which greatly affects our lives, and this is Selective Memory. This may conjure up past or present relationships with a chuckle and it can be funny. It can also be devastating to your Spiritual growth. The simple fact is we tend to push unpleasant memories out of our mind and lock them away in our Pandora’s box which itself is hidden in our treasure chest of memories. Yes, these are those experiences that cut to the bone and rocked our very soul!
Some would call this doing Shadow Work, just one name for it. Here are some links to Debbie Ford’s life’s work, www.theshadoweffect.com/ and http://youtu.be/0kxy5GQkedo. So, if you find this to be helpful, I will also recommend Byron Katie’s teachings, http://thework.com/ and http://www.byronkatie.com/. This said, have you ever felt like you have hit a wall in your growth? Perhaps the same issues keep recurring or you frequently meet similar type individuals. “Shadow work is nothing more than the process of making the unconscious conscious and the unacceptable, acceptable.” (http://tealswan.com/) The habit of selective memory could be behind this process. The less you wish to look at something the more your mind will want to show you! If ignored for long enough drastic events will happen to force you to face the issues being ignored. Often these are life changing events, emotional breakdowns, physical injury, or drastic shifts in career. The path to healing is to face these scary memories and past experiences which have never had the opportunity to be processed by the mind.
What one discovers when they make the effort to explore these memories and feelings which at first may be scary, is just how harmless they really are. Abuse or trauma is one of those things we all tend to hide away and at the time it was the most efficient method of dealing with this overwhelming experience. Now that the threat has passed it is safe to take another look at what happened. Do not trust your memories in this regard. Focus rather on the feelings surrounding the event and explore the roots. Having a guide on this journey is often the best and most effective choice to make. Just making the choice to face your fears is often enough. There is no reason to fully relive the experience, only to see that which you could not before. Once seen in a big picture format all is put into perspective and the mind releases its hold on these frightful experiences. When a light is flipped on immediately it fills the room and darkness is gone. This is how the process works. Choose to dig deep down within your own psyche carrying a lantern with you! Be not afraid of what lies below for it could lead to treasure!
Sequoia Elisabeth 🙂
Oneness Ministry 