Memory

Mine is not excellent these days. Especially since I have had children. I really do believe that they suck the brains out of expectant moms, we just have yet to prove it. My memory was horrible while pregnant with each child. My recoveries have been less and less each pregnancy.

I'm learning about memory in my psychology class this week and it's been really interesting. It's also been a little irritating. I really think that they should just stick to the facts when teaching people. For example, nobody knows exactly what deja vu is. I mean we all know what it is, but they don't know exactly what causes it. The book I am reading from is very vague about what people think, but the explanation they give definitely doesn't fit my experiences of it. For example, I have remembered exactly the first time I saw the scene as it was happening the second time around. I have at times remembered the exact day I had dreamed it first, or day dreamed it first, when it was happening the second time. However, the book explains it as if I were to meet this guys mom, brother, sister, kids and then meet him and have that feeling that I've met him before (because of the similarities he has in looks and mannerisms to his family). But that's not deja vu, that's just feeling like something is familiar, which is entirely different.

It also fascinates me how they think the brain works. I had to take some tests online for the class and apparently my brain is not typical because I didn't get the same results as they were expecting from the average person. Most of my results didn't bother me, except for one test. I had to stare at a + on the screen and then 9 letters would flash really fast (like 1/100 of a second) in front of my eyes, and I was supposedly supposed to be able to see them all, however, my eyes didn't. The computer program wasn't very patient with me and told me several times that I needed to try harder, or concentrate better. Rude. I wanted to wring it's little wires. Other tests gave me a string of words and supposedly I was supposed to be able to remember only the first and last words, but my eyes didn't see the first few flash in front of them and so I mostly remembered the middle ones because by the end is when my brain had a traffic jam.

The other day I had forgotten to put a new can of shaving cream by my tub, and when I went to shave, I realized I didn't have any and used soap instead. I was thinking to myself, "I know I am going to forget to put a new can out when I get done here, how can I remind myself?" Then I noticed the lid for the old can, and thought, "I should toss it over by the sink so when I go to throw it away, I'll remember to put a new one out. Brilliant!" But that is where my memory goes blank. Later, when I'm at the sink I get out my deodorant and the lid looks very similar to the lid of the shaving cream and I think to myself, "Oh yeah, shaving cream! I forgot to throw the lid, but thankfully this deodorant lid reminded me." As I go to get a new can of shaving cream out, I see the lid to the old can on the floor by it... but, I have NO recollection of throwing it! NONE. So weird how the brain works. So eerie I don't remember tossing it after thinking about tossing it.

I'm telling you, I'm losing my mind, and maybe my eyesight too.