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CHAPTER VIII.
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 workbut 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.
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