Is Memory the Best Trigger for the Creative state?
I've often wondered what the best trigger is to get yourself into a creative state. Recently I have been asking myself if memory is a good trigger point for creating the calm and focused mental state that can then be used to do other forms of neuro-reprogramming.
Memory is one of the most fascinating aspects of consciousness. Mainly because of its random, associative nature. It certainly doesn't work in straight lines and filing cabinets, which is frustrating when you need to ace a test or find your car keys. Sometimes memory can take on an almost dreamy and holographic quality that can occur if you spend time delving into memories for a sustained period of time.
Image: A Dreamy World by Graphixeye
When you recall one event from the past, it is very difficult to remember, say, each individual day before and after that event. What is much easier and seemingly natural for the brain, is to 'free associate', jumping from one memory to the next related thing in what seems a random way. This appears to be the result of how the brain has created associations and maps between the pieces of information it has stored. If you do this, kind of circle around within the general area of the memory, you may uncover lots of interesting bits of information you didn't think you actually 'consciously' remembered or could even recall if you 'tried' to remember them.
Let me give an example. I was discussing travel with a colleague at work today. I recalled that I had back-packed through Malaysia over 20 years before. I started jumping around in my memories, really just free associating, some of the places I went, the person I traveled with, what we ate, some of the sounds and sights. I didn't put a lot of effort into this, I just kind of poked around. But I was amazed what details came up. I was able to identify the exact name of the National Park where we went hiking. Pretty soon, I was able to recall almost the entire trip, and was able to use Google Earth to zoom into both the national park, and the tiny atoll we had visited off the coast. This was a two week trip twenty years beforehand, which I hadn't thought about consciously or talked about for some years.
When I do my neuro-reprogramming sessions now, I'm starting them off with sitting still and relaxed, and directing my attention to a memory in the past. I free associate around with whatever comes up for four or five minutes in a very relaxed, non-directed way. This seems to really stimulate and focus the mind, so I'm wondering if the quality of directing the attention that occurs here is a effective way to initiate the alpha brain wave state that is conducive to other sorts of more directed visualization and neuro-reprogramming exercises. It might be that using memory in this way is a more even effective way of getting into an alpha brainwave state than more traditional relaxation techniques. Does using memory in this way even go so far as being some sort of self-hypnosis?
I believe increasing mental capacity is becoming increasingly important as we live longer. If you want to take advantage of increased lifespan, you need to keep you mind active. Exercising your memory is a fantastic, fun and relaxing way to do this.
Happy remembering
Memory is one of the most fascinating aspects of consciousness. Mainly because of its random, associative nature. It certainly doesn't work in straight lines and filing cabinets, which is frustrating when you need to ace a test or find your car keys. Sometimes memory can take on an almost dreamy and holographic quality that can occur if you spend time delving into memories for a sustained period of time.
Image: A Dreamy World by Graphixeye
When you recall one event from the past, it is very difficult to remember, say, each individual day before and after that event. What is much easier and seemingly natural for the brain, is to 'free associate', jumping from one memory to the next related thing in what seems a random way. This appears to be the result of how the brain has created associations and maps between the pieces of information it has stored. If you do this, kind of circle around within the general area of the memory, you may uncover lots of interesting bits of information you didn't think you actually 'consciously' remembered or could even recall if you 'tried' to remember them.
Let me give an example. I was discussing travel with a colleague at work today. I recalled that I had back-packed through Malaysia over 20 years before. I started jumping around in my memories, really just free associating, some of the places I went, the person I traveled with, what we ate, some of the sounds and sights. I didn't put a lot of effort into this, I just kind of poked around. But I was amazed what details came up. I was able to identify the exact name of the National Park where we went hiking. Pretty soon, I was able to recall almost the entire trip, and was able to use Google Earth to zoom into both the national park, and the tiny atoll we had visited off the coast. This was a two week trip twenty years beforehand, which I hadn't thought about consciously or talked about for some years.
When I do my neuro-reprogramming sessions now, I'm starting them off with sitting still and relaxed, and directing my attention to a memory in the past. I free associate around with whatever comes up for four or five minutes in a very relaxed, non-directed way. This seems to really stimulate and focus the mind, so I'm wondering if the quality of directing the attention that occurs here is a effective way to initiate the alpha brain wave state that is conducive to other sorts of more directed visualization and neuro-reprogramming exercises. It might be that using memory in this way is a more even effective way of getting into an alpha brainwave state than more traditional relaxation techniques. Does using memory in this way even go so far as being some sort of self-hypnosis?
I believe increasing mental capacity is becoming increasingly important as we live longer. If you want to take advantage of increased lifespan, you need to keep you mind active. Exercising your memory is a fantastic, fun and relaxing way to do this.
Happy remembering
