Triple Stream

IS MEMORY GOD’S GIFT?

Memory is the function of the mind. It is the product of attention, which, in its turn, is the outcome of interest. Memory is an indispensable requirement in education, an invaluable asset to human beings, and a mark of personal efficiency. The word ‘memories’ is used in the popular sense to mean experiences that are recollected. Human consciousness, like an exhibition of photographs, has many pictures: some sweet and some sour, some a blessing and some a blight. One who has the power of total recall is regarded as fortunate. However, if memory haunts and disturbs one’s peace of mind, it is of dubious value.

“Memory is the diary we all carry about with us” as Oscar Wilde said. Cicero said “Memory is the treasure and guardian of all things.” There were and still exist men of extraordinary memory who astound the whole world.

Julius Caesar had the ability to simultaneously dictate seven different letters to his secretaries without losing the thread.

Themistocles of Greece had extraordinary memory. He could tell the names of the entire population of Athens. Its population was 20,000. Not only this. He could identify them!

Sir Asutosh Mukhelji, the former Vice-­Chancellor of Calcutta University and Madanmohan Malavia of Banaras University knew all the names of their students. When they called them by their names, they felt happy, because to no man there is a sweeter music than the sound of his own name!

World-renowned Napoleon Bonaparte used to address every soldier in his army by his name. No wonder, his soldiers remained loyal to him till the end and cheerfully sacrificed their lives.

Similarly, Cyrus, a Greek General, knew all the soldiers under his command by their names.

Seneca the famous Roman senator, a great orator and scholar, could reproduce the contents of many books that he had read. In his speeches he quoted their contents verbatim. Illuminating sentences aptly quoted, captivate the audience.

Thomas Babington Macaulay, the historian and essayist, challenged that he would undertake to reproduce through memory John Bunyon’s ‘Pilgrim Progress’ and Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost (12 books), if they were lost by an act of vandalism.

John Milton, Britain’s blind bard, composed his ‘Paradise Lost’ in his mind forty lines at a time. As he was visually handicapped, he dictated to his daughter from memory.

John Bell, a clergyman, could reproduce the contents of any book read by him once. Such people existed in India in good number, they were called “Ekasantragrahis”.

Beshop Jevale who was Francis Bacon’s contemporary, had photographic memory of a special type. Once Bacon wrote a few lines from an old forgotten book of poetry and arranged those lines in a topsy-turvy manner, deliberately omitting a few lines. To the astonishment of those who were present, the Beshop quoted them correctly and in proper order, supplying the omissions!

Mahammedali Hatei of Turkey could recite accurately 6,500 verses from the Holy Koran. His intense devotion and religious fervor helped him to do this.

According to Mayori Mori, a research scholar, Hidiake Tamor of Japan could mention the first 10,000 decimal places of P.L and subsequently extended his record to 40,000 decimal places.

Edgar Wallace, the noted English writer who wrote 500 novels and plays, used to have a mental pre-view of the whole matter before he actually started writing. Like Shakespeare, he did not blot a single line. He was so tenacious that he did not sleep before he finished writing the book.

Computer King, world famous Bill Gates, Chairman of the Microsoft Company in U.S. even today remembers hundreds of lines of the source code for his Basic programming language.

T. E. Lawrence, popularly known as Lawrence of Arabia wrote a voluminous book known as ‘the Seven Pillars of Wisdom’. The manuscript was lost. Any other man in his position would have committed suicide. But he managed to reconstruct the entire volume with the help of his prodigious memory!

In the same way Sir Isaac Newton reconstructed the contents of his scientific treatise ‘PRINCIPIA’ when the original was accidentally burnt. His pet dog threw the original into the fire-place. Instead of venting his fury on the poor animal, he simply said “Dear! You don’t know what you have done!”

Sankaracharya, the great philosopher of India, is said to have dictated to his disciple Padmapada a whole book when the original was burnt by Padmapada’s uncle out of malice during the absence of the latter! Sankaracharya just heard its contents only once when Padmapada had read it out for his Guru’s approval.

India of ancient days was known for such feats of memory. The Vedas were not written. They were just passed on from generation to generation through word of mouth.

Even today we have among us in India men of extra-ordinarily retentive memory who could perform wonderful feats. They are known as ‘Ashtavadhanis’, ‘Satavadhanis’ and ‘Dwisatavadhanis’. They exhibit wonderful memory in addition to their literary genius and poetic abilities, even when people try to distract their attention and disturb their concentration.

Memory is not necessarily a God’s gift or genetic equipment. It can be sedulously cultivated and developed. The following are some interesting facts:

-         Habit plays an important part in strengthening memory.
-         Emotion or feeling creates strong memory.
-         Memory increases when information is received with great interest or motivation.
-         Brain is a muscle. The more it is used the more is its effective functioning. Human brain consists of two parts. The right hemisphere is connected with imagination and memory.
-         What is sensational or unusual is long remembered. Routine happenings are not remembered long.
-         Memory is a selective process. We remember things which we must or like to remember.
-         It is a thing of the heart as well as the head.
-         We remember information that is well organised and analytically presented. Order is important. Memory functions effectively when it is reinforced by interest and repetition on a basis of order.
-         It is useful to make associations.
-         The more we concentrate upon a subject, the stronger will be its memory. Therefore we must invest more time on a subject which we need to remember.
-         Narration of events in sequential order and story-telling are aids to memory.
-         Meditation boosts memory. This is of great importance. 
-         Men grow old but memory doesn’t. There are cases of 90 year old people with strong memory.
-         Concentration is at its best at spaced out intervals. One should not focus attention at an unending stretch. There must be pauses for rest and refreshment, as in all human activities.
-         Sleep helps in enhancing memory power. It may sound strange but scientifically based.
-         Memory is an act of faith. We must have confidence in ourselves.
-         We should not depend on medicines for memory power.