Psychologists research something or the other all the time. Once the pandemic is over, there will be a torrent of studies comparing our memories before and after the pandemic. For the time being, in a survey conducted by the Alzheimer’s Society, half of relatives said their loved ones’ memories had gotten worse since they went into isolation. At the other end is a species possessing HSAM (Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory). They can recall the weather on a particular day eight years ago, what they were wearing, what they ate and whom they met on that day. The monotony of quarantine is dulling their recall faculty as well.
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Episodic memory is our memory of every day events. Those working at a
corporate office know its social club aspect. We talk to the family at home,
colleagues at the office, friends outside, and people or strangers at parties. Episodic
recall starts with something like ‘… you know what happened yesterday….’
My father who is 86 years old meets his friends at a
local park every morning. In the evening, he has a drinking club with members’
ages ranging from 25 to 86. In between, he has us, his family. He has been
telling stories and anecdotes his entire life. His memory is fantastic, because
he has told every story hundreds of times. Last year, I wrote an article describing
his chatting groups. It appears prescient now, with me explaining why virtual
meetings can never replace real conversations.
In 2009, as an experiment I played a lead role in a
full-length amateur play. I was not looking for a new career. I was merely curious
to know how actors remember the entire script. After rehearsing it for two
months, I didn’t miss a single line.
Our episodic memory is about recalling a specific
event or experience. Some may be better, some not so good, but all of us are
inherently storytellers. Now, with no events, no birthday parties, no office
gatherings; there are no episodes, no stories. Making new memories is one
problem. And in isolation, there is no new person we can tell the story to. When
theatre actors don’t perform in a certain play, the dialogue memory starts
decaying.
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Flashbulb memory talks about a memory of an emotionally charged moment.
It could be of a public event such as the 9/11 terrorist attack. We remember who
gave us the news first, the setting, and most of our activities on that day. Death
of somebody close is always emotionally charged and creates flashbulbs. Though
we are not Federer or Nadal, each of us has our moments of triumph in life. We
remember them vividly. The setting, people around us, the way we smiled. It can
be a photo or a short video.
I don’t think in a lockdown and in-home isolation,
flashbulb photography happens. You need ambience, people around, and a supercharged
emotion. I can’t recall a single flashbulb memory from skype or zoom.
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In another research, scientists found we gossip for 52
minutes every day - mainly talking about someone who is not present. The
scientific study had attached to the participants portable recording devices
(with permission), and later analyzed the conversations. It was not all
negative, much of it was non-judgmental chitchat.
It is human to gossip. A and B can talk about C in his
absence, but equally A and C can talk about B, and B and C about A behind their
backs. Gossip is a psychological need, and it is actually healthy to spend
those lovely 52 minutes every day.
That is another lockdown casualty. On Zoom, you will
not gossip about your boss, because the boss may have access to your chat.
Gossip requires privacy and confidentiality. Virtual platforms don’t offer
either.
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Memory is a vast ocean. More on it tomorrow.
Ravi
fascinating
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