“Forgetfulness is one of God’s greatest blessings” is a quote I remind myself whenever I’m having a bad day. When you’re having a bad day, it feels like the feeling is going to last forever but one month later, you wouldn’t even know what caused you to feel bad. Human memory is unclear and distorted. We tend to overvalue the past memory and regret the past actions because our brain distorts our memory. Why does our brain distort memory?
Memory formation involves 3 processes that are regulated by an underlying neural structure. The complex processes of encoding, consolidation, and retrieval are involved in remembering an event and it might be hindered by one’s emotional state. In the stages of encoding, visual and sound information we receive transform into a memory trace and then in the second stage consolidation, the memory we form becomes stabilized and transferred into a long-term memory. The final step, retrieval is a process that we bring back to conscious awareness by recognizing memory and recalling it. The brain regions involved in memory formation are Hippocampus which turn initial information into memory and the prefrontal cortex which controls memory retrieval and lastly Engram Neurons which are neurons that change structurally to store specific memories during all three phases.
If our brain successfully stored our memories, the emotions would interrupt memory by acting as a filter that prioritizes specific emotionally charged details while blocking other information that was received. Emotions can influence how well you remember events. Strong emotions can potentially sharpen your focus on key details and lead to the distortion of memories and it can also skew your perspective. Our skewed perspective could lead to the incorporation of false details and distort others’ intentions.
Misunderstanding of others’ intentions due to the effect of emotions in memory happens among a lot of people and sometimes it could lead to misunderstandings between people. To prevent these kinds of situations, we must understand that what we feel about the memory and what we actually experience are different. Here are some activities scientists suggest to prevent misunderstanding. Practicing mindfulness allows you to experience emotions in the moment without getting attached to them which will help you reduce stress. Journaling and expressing your emotions regularly is also a really good method to control your emotions. Writing down thoughts can help you organize your thoughts and feelings. Doing physical activities to distract you into thinking too deeply is also another way to organize your feelings.
Our brain distorts memory because our emotions affect it every moment. So we tend to overvalue or undervalue certain moments also and it causes stress to many people. By practicing mindfulness, journaling or doing physical activities, we can prevent stress and help to objectify memories.
By. Madison Yi
Works Cited
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10567586/
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-does-emotion-impact-memory