Point 23: Memory Takes A Lot of Mental Resources

The Fragility of Memory 

While we are consciously aware of 40 out of the 40 billion sensory inputs we receive every second; to process, store, and remember information takes a lot of mental resources and is a process that can be easily disrupted.

Recency effect is when items or ideas that were last heard are remembered clearer than those that came first.  Suffix effect is when the last items heard are harder to remember than the first because they were preceded by irrelevant information.

Interesting Things About Our Memory

You can store concrete words like desk or rock in long-term memory more easily than abstract words like guilt or justice. You can also remember things that you see better than words.  Studies have shown that our brains remain active while we sleep as they are essentially deciding what new memories to keep and which to forget.  Rhymes are easier to remember due to the activation of one verse more easily triggering the next. 

Can you improve your memory while you sleep? (Embed)

Caption: : take a look at this video showing memory working and improving in sleep