Forgetfulness annoys – and sometimes frightens us. But if we understand how the memory works, we can train it. An expert explains what is important.
Sometimes it is the very everyday things that make us almost despair: where is the car key? What did I just want to say again? And what’s wrong with my memory? Is that all still a normal forgetfulness – or a sign of a disease?
Neuroscientist: to forget names is normal
Our memory is not designed to save and remember individual things like the names of people we once met at a party, explains the neuroscientist Charan Ranganath. That is why it is normal to forget things like that. Our brain works much more like a filter: “Memory is the process through which our brain filter out what is important-that is, information that helps us find our way around in an insecure and constantly changing world,” said the psychology professor.
“We tend to concentrate on our weaknesses when it comes to memory, but for the most part we do a pretty good job in remembering what we need thanks to the prefrontal cortex.” This part of the brain is active when people plan something or solve complex problems. That is why he also plays a central role in Ranganath if we remember something or not in everyday life.
The memory can be trained
The problem: The performance of the prefrontal cortex is reduced, the older we get, and we harm him if we are too much multitask, stressed out or not get enough sleep, Ranganath explains in the business magazine Fast Company.
But: the prefrontal cortex can be strengthened. And among other things through physical activity and sport, mindfulness exercises and by parking distractions (such as e-mail and WhatsApp notifications).
Get out of the trott: collect new impressions for updates
In addition, according to Ranganath, it is important to give the brain as much different feed as possible (he speaks of various data) in order to train it and keep it fit. This feed consists of experiences and experiences that we have.
To do this, we have to come from the sewage, i.e. discover other places and come into contact with people with different backgrounds and different perspectives, the expert advises.
We can use these individual experiences: our ability to commemorate events ensure that we can always give our knowledge an “update” and adapt so quickly and flexibly to new situations.
“If, on the other hand, we spend too much time with the same people, in the same places and in the same situations, our memory atrophies. During pandemic, for example, we sat in the same room every day and had to do with the same people (mostly about screens),” explains Ranganath. “The days seemed to be forever, and at the end of the week we only had a few memories of what we had done during this time.”
Read more on utopia.de:
- “Brain fog”: Causes and measures at Brain Fog
- Study: 6 habits that reduce the loss of memory
- Live healthier: we can learn these eight things from other countries
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