Memory

Memory is our ability to encode, store, retain, and subsequently recall information and experiences in the human brain. Unlike a computer memory, humans have a cognitive memory system that selectively takes information from the senses and converts it into meaningful patterns that we store and access later as needed. These memory patterns, then, form the raw material for thought and behavior, which in turn enables you to recognize a friend’s face, ride a bicycle, recollect a trip six flags, and recall the concepts you need during a test.
As humans, we use metaphors to help us remember complicated things. One such metaphor compares human memory to a library or a storehouse, emphasizing the ability of memory to hold large amounts of information. Another memory compares memory to a computer. All human memory is not complete and accurate record of everything we experience. In the case of recovered memories, believing in the unfailing accuracy of memory can be dangerously wrong. Human memory is an interpretive system that takes in information. We discard certain detail and organize the rest into meaningful patterns. As a result, our memories represent our unique perception of events rather than being accurate or objective representations of the events themselves. We do not technically retrieve memories, but actually reconstruct them. We start with fragments of memory, and then we reconstruct the incident by filling in the blanks as we remember it, rather than the way it actually was.
Some memories are sketchier than others are. Psychologists have found that we make the most complete and accurate memory records thing such as, information on which we have focused our attention, such as a friend’s words against a background of other conversations. Information in which we are interested, such as lyrics from our favorite songs. Information that arouses us emotionally, such as an especially enjoyable or painful experience. Information that connect with