Lifetime Memory Snippet Linkage
Take any memory in your mind. Doesn’t matter which one. Simply take it and think about it and let your mind wander. Re-live the memory. Where does your mind take you next?
Pull up a scene from your childhood. That time you played hide and seek with your friends. Who were your friends? Can you remember anything about those people? Where do those memories take you next? How did you feel in that memory? Hurt? Angry? Happy? Let one memory lead to the next. They don’t have to be big memories or have any significance whatsoever in the great scheme of things. A memory of your toy fire truck may link into an untapped memory of the time you saw a building on fire. That building on fire may remind you of the time you went camping with your grandfather and he had you build the campfire.
Now, get a pencil and a notepad or open a Word document or something so you can quickly write/type out “thought snippets” as they flow through your mind.
Write in short phrases, one line at a time. You will find that you can fill up pages and pages really quickly.
Example:
toy fire truck
building on fire
excited
sirens
camping with grandpa
christmas at grandparents
candy canes
santa claus in mall
worried
sitting on lap
Don’t worry about writing this list so that it means anything to anyone other than yourself. The idea is that you will be able to pull it up later on and when you read it, it will re-trigger those memories. Over time, you can constantly add onto it. Every time you open your memory snippet document and re-read it, you will remember more details and new memory trails will appear. Just keep adding on to the list.
I’ve found that memories seem to lie passively in your brain and slowly fade from your consciousness over time from lack of recall. This technique will rejuvenate those memories, bringing back the color to your life.
My plan is to create a list like this and pull as many memory snippets out of my mind as I possibly can. Then I intend to create a computer program that will allow me to chronologically order the memory snippets, while still maintaining the linkages formed from typing the phrases out one by one. Then I will create a graphical interface that will allow me to link even more of the memories together.
The final goal is to be able to navigate my memory snippets in a chronological interface and see how my own mind links them across time.
I will essentially have the entire structure for an auto-biography.
What do you all think?
Thats interesting, kinda reminds me of eternal sunshine of a spotless mind. You will have to let me know some more of your thoughts. Have an awesome day!
I can’t wait to see your memories!
Email them to me!
LOVE YOU!
MOM
Hey now, just because I’m writing out my memories doesn’t mean they’re open book for anyone to see.
This is very personal. Very much like a diary.
It sounds very complicated. Lol. Sounds like a good idea. Sorry we haven’t hung out in a long time. I’ve been crazy busy with school and much more. We should hang out soon. Call me when you get some free time and maybe we can hang out. *I have spring break March 20-24* Love you!
Rach
Hey Rach! Yeah we all need to hang out. Maybe Samantha and I could go to that dance lesson place you and your mom were talking about?
Perfect. I love this idea. It’s just my sort of thing.
Funny. Because I just realized the same thing — Memories only stay alive for as long as you decide to recall them. For instance, when I was five years old I was able to remember when I was 2 and 3 years old. Now I’ve lost even most of the memories I had at five years old because I dwell on the future too much.
Oh, that would be fun! Did Samantha move down here? I’ll talk to my mom about it. Maybe we can go dancing with my friend, Paul, his mom and my mom.
Yup! She moved to Phoenix and is going to college here now.
Oh really? Cool. Is she liking Phoenix? Where is she going to college?
My dad is in town this weekend. We were thinking of maybe coming to say hi for an hour or so. This is not for sure yet but I’ll call you if we can work it into our schedule. Tell Samantha hi for me.