PHASES OF MEMORY.
One of the first things apt to be noticed by the student of memory is
the fact that there are several different phases of the manifestation of
memory. That is to say, that there are several general classes into
which the phenomena of memory may be grouped. And accordingly we find
some persons quite highly developed in certain phases of memory, and
quite deficient in others. If there were but one phase or class of
memory, then a person who had developed his memory along any particular
line would have at the same time developed it equally along all the
other lines. But this is far from being the true state of affairs. We
find men who are quite proficient in recalling the impression of faces,
while they find it very difficult to recall the names of the persons
whose faces they remember. Others can remember faces, and not names.
Others have an excellent recollection of localities, while others are
constantly losing themselves. Others remember dates, prices, numbers,
and figures generally, while deficient in other forms of recollection.
Others remember tales, incidents, anecdotes etc., while forgetting other
things. And so on, each person being apt to possess a memory good in
some phases, while deficient in others.
The phases of memory may be divided into two general classes, namely (1)
Memory of Sense Impressions; and (2) Memory of Ideas. This
classification is somewhat arbitrary, for the reason that sense
impressions develop into ideas, and ideas are composed to a considerable
extent of sense impressions, but in a general way the classification
serves its purpose, which is the grouping together of certain phases of
the phenomena of memory.
Memory of Sense Impressions of course includes the impressions received
from all of the five senses: sight; hearing; taste; touch; and smell.
But when we come down to a practical examination of sense impressions
retained in the memory, we find that the majority of such impressions
are those obtained through the two respective senses of sight and
hearing. The impressions received from the sense of taste, touch and
smell, respectively, are comparatively small, except in the cases of
certain experts in special lines, whose occupation consists in acquiring
a very delicate sense of taste, smell or touch, and correspondingly a
fine sense of memory along these particular lines. For instance, the
wine-taster and tea-tasters, who are able to distinguish between the
various grades of merchandise handled by them, have developed not only
very fine senses of taste and smell, but also a remarkable memory of the
impressions previously received, the power of discrimination depending
as much upon the memory as upon the special sense. In the same way the
skilled surgeon as well as the skilled mechanic acquires a fine sense of
touch and a correspondingly highly developed memory of touch
impressions.
But, as we have said, the greater part of the sense impressions stored
away in our memories are those previously received through the senses
of sight and hearing, respectively. The majority of sense impressions,
stored away in the memory, have been received more or less
involuntarily, that is with the application of but a slight degree of
attention. They are more or less indistinct and hazy, and are recalled
with difficulty, the remembrance of them generally coming about without
conscious effort, according to the law of association. That is, they
come principally when we are thinking about something else upon which we
have given thought and attention, and with which they have been
associated. There is quite a difference between the remembrance of sense
impressions received in this way, and those which we record by the
bestowal of attention, interest and concentration.
The sense impressions of sight are by far the most numerous in our
subconscious storehouse. We are constantly exercising our sense of
sight, and receiving thousands of different sight impressions every
hour. But the majority of these impressions are but faintly recorded
upon the memory, because we give to them but little attention or
interest. But it is astonishing, at times, when we find that when we
recall some important event or incident we also recall many faint sight
impressions of which we did not dream we had any record. To realize the
important part played by sight impressions in the phenomena of memory,
recall some particular time or event in your life, and see how many more
things that you _saw_ are remembered, compared with the number of things
that you _heard_, or tasted, or felt or smelled.
Second in number, however, are the impressions received through the
sense of hearing, and consequently the memory stores away a great number
of sound impressions. In some cases the impressions of sight and sound
are joined together, as for instance in the case of words, in which not
only the sound but the shape of the letters composing the word, or
rather the word-shape itself, are stored away together, and consequently
are far more readily remembered or recollected than things of which but
one sense impression is recorded. Teachers of memory use this fact as a
means of helping their students to memorize words by speaking them
aloud, and then writing them down. Many persons memorize names in this
way, the impression of the written word being added to the impression of
the sound, thus doubling the record. The more impressions that you can
make regarding a thing, the greater are the chances of your easily
recollecting it. Likewise it is very important to attach an impression
of a weaker sense, to that of a stronger one, in order that the former
may be memorized. For instance, if you have a good eye memory, and a
poor ear memory, it is well to attach your sound impressions to the
sight impressions. And if you have a poor eye memory, and a good ear
memory it is important to attach your sight impressions to your sound
impressions. In this way you take advantage of the law of association,
of which we have told you.
Under the sub-class of sight impressions, are found the smaller
divisions of memory known as memory of locality; memory of figures;
memory of form; memory of color; and memory of written or printed
words. Under the sub-class of sound impressions are found the smaller
divisions of memory known as memory of spoken words; memory of names;
memory of stories; memory of music, etc. We shall pay special attention
to these forms of memory, in succeeding chapters.
The second general class of memory,--memory of ideas,--includes the
memory of facts, events, thoughts, lines of reasoning, etc., and is
regarded as higher in the scale than the memory of sense impressions,
although not more necessary nor useful to the average person. This form
of memory of course accompanies the higher lines of intellectual effort
and activities, and constitutes a large part of what is known as true
education, that is education which teaches one to think instead of to
merely memorize certain things taught in books or lectures.
The well-rounded man, mentally, is he who has developed his memory on
all sides, rather than the one who has developed but one special phase
of the faculty. It is true that a man's interest and occupation
certainly tend to develop his memory according to his daily needs and
requirements, but it is well that he should give to the other parts of
his memory field some exercise, in order that he may not grow one-sided.
As Halleck has said: "Many persons think that memory is mainly due to
sight; but we have as many different kinds of memory as we have senses.
To sight, the watermelon is a long greenish body, but this is its least
important quality. Sight alone gives the poorest idea of the watermelon.
We approach the vine where the fruit is growing, and in order to
decide whether it is ripe, we tap the rind and judge by the sound.
We must remember that a ripe watermelon has a certain resonance. By
passing our hands over the melon, we learn that it has certain touch
characteristics. We cut it open and learn the qualities of taste and
smell. All this knowledge afforded by the different senses must enter
into a perfected memory image. Hence we see that many complex processes
go to form an idea of a thing. Napoleon was not content with only
hearing a name. He wrote it down, and having satisfied his eye memory
as well as his ear memory, he threw the paper away."
In this book we shall point out the methods and processes calculated to
round out the memory of the student. As a rule his strong phases of
memory need but little attention, although even in these a little
scientific knowledge will be of use. But in the weaker phases, those
phases in which his memory is "poor," he should exert a new energy and
activity, to the end that these weaker regions of the memory may be
cultivated and fertilized, and well stored with the seed impressions,
which will bear a good crop in time. There is no phase, field, or class
of memory that is not capable of being highly developed by intelligent
application. It requires practice, exercise and work--but the reward is
great. Many a man is handicapped by being deficient in certain phases of
memory, while proficient in others. The remedy is in his own hands, and
we feel that in this book we have given to each the means whereby he may
acquire a "good" memory along any or all lines.