subject: How to Improve Your Memory as a Spiritual Practice [print this page] How to Improve Your Memory as a Spiritual Practice
Our memory, according to researches and scientists, most likely recalls the things that come first and come last in a certain series or sequence. The fact that it recalls those that come first is called the "primacy effect". And the fact that it recalls those that come last is called the "recency effect".
Now our lives can be fuller and ricer, if we cultivate our memory by knowing the way the memory works. Now using the primacy effect and the recency effect in our daily lives, then we can be more in tuned with our memory. This is the reason why in many religious traditions, there is so much emphasis on the start and on the enddaily, yearly and as seasons come and go.
So in order to sharpen the memory better, then have a connection or a relationship with the Divinein your beginnings and ends. You may wonder how that helps your memory. It does because the primacy effect and the recency effect are reinforcedand the more you reinforced the strengths of your memory, the better it will be, and then the better you will remember or recall all kinds of information. Of course, it is not a magic switch. It really takes time.
So for instance, at every meal, you can have blessing at the beginning, and then after you have eaten the meal, you can say a blessing or a certain prayer giving thanks for the meal. Thus you cal also do this at the beginning and end of each and every day for the rest of your life. One suggestion is to have a kind of ritual for each activity that is important for you, signaling its beginning, and also its end of course.
In medieval times (or the middle ages), the memory is indeed, considered in more spiritual terms. There are many books that today explore how the people of medieval times enhanced their memory. Of course, cutting edge research is indeed showing some really remarkable knowledge on memory nowadays. But of course, integrating this with the more spiritual knowledge of the middle ages can be very helpful. You can find some information freely from the Internet, or even some book previews by using Google search or Google books. Thus, viewing your memory from a very holistic point of view can indeed enhance how you remember things, and how you can use your memory for everyday routine, and daily activities of living.
