Contemplating memory and what it means to forget

[StripedGiraffe]

What does it mean to forget?

Forgetting means a concept leaves your awareness. We only become conscious of forgetting when we try to recall something, but we cannot remember a specific concept within the frame of the "search". If we do not become conscious that we have forgotten or we never try to recall a concept, it's as if the concept never existed. Perhaps these concepts are still stored subconsciously and affect us from the subconscious but in terms of remembering, if we cannot consciously recall a concept, that memory is erased, we have forgotten. This is what happens to 99.9 % percent of everything we experience and conceptualize over time. We can also say that we have forgotten something even if it is possible to recall. However, we often don't remember to recall the concept without a specific trigger. For example, If you have homework due at midnight, it's possible to totally forget and not do it even though if somebody had asked you if you had homework, you would recall that yes, you do. So we might say that forgetting is simply being unaware of something you were previously aware of. So if you're practicing concentration on your breath with your eyes closed, if you achieve true concentration, by my definition, you will have forgotten everything else you know because the only thing that you are aware of is the feeling of your breath. Of course, you still have access to all of your normal information but until you actually remember it, it is forgotten. Notice that before reading this sentence, you were not aware of what you had for dinner last night. One could say you forgot. Notice that this forgetting extends to the most basic knowledge. For example, before reading this, you were not aware of your age. Of course, you can probably remember it very quickly. The concept of you being a certain age did not exist until you became directly conscious of it in this moment. Here's a thought experiment. Let's say nobody ever asked you your name for the next year. You don't have to write it, say it, or even think of it at any point in the next year. One might say you have forgotten your name. You might be thinking "But StripedGiraffe, just because I didn't directly think of my name, doesn't mean I forgot it." I still know it. But notice that you have to recall it in order to bring it into your conscious awareness. That's what it means to remember. Just like forgetting to do your homework does not mean the assignment was erased from your memory, it just didn't come back into your awareness. 

What determines what we remember and what we forget?

The likelihood that you will remember something is determined by the significance of the concept relative to your egoic survival. The more relevant a concept is to your survival, the more often you will recall it. The more often you recall a concept, the longer that memory will survive. Also, the more often you recall a concept, the easier and faster it will be to recall in the future. This whole process is one of the main forces at the root of how we create thinking patterns. Thoughts are also concepts that we use for survival. To better understand this, I'd like to create two categories of thoughts: memories and creative thoughts. By definition, creative thoughts are new, original, and can never be repeated or habitual. Memories, however, are strictly thoughts that you have previously have had before. They are concepts that you have previously been aware of and have become aware of again. Much, if not most, of your thinking is "memory thinking". We're just rethinking these old thought patterns that are most relevant to our survival over and over again. It's also not necessarily true that these patterns are even currently very relevant to your survival. When a thought is repeated enough times, it becomes our default way of thinking, especially when we experience the same thought cues and triggers every day. That's why switching up your environment and routine would be helpful for changing thinking patterns. Notice that these mechanisms do not work in a way that promotes happiness, peace, growth, and self-actualization. Instead, these mechanisms promote homeostasis. You can use this knowledge, however, to take some strategic actions that will support you.

What can we do about forgetfulness?

First of all, it's worth mentioning that we can improve our memories through proper diet, exercise, meditation, brain training, and nootropics. It may be impossible to control what you forget, but it is very possible to influence what you remember, which is actually much more important since remembering is the primary driver behind our thought, and our thoughts create our reality. We can strategically create cues or reminders to trigger thinking patterns and habits that support our higher consciousness aspirations. For example, if you want to be more grateful, you can set reminders to pop up on your phone that ask "What are you grateful for?" or you can write it on your mirror. When you get an important insight, it's important to record it, or else it may be erased into nothing, never to be remembered again. Don't trust your ego when it says, "I don't need to write this down, I'll remember." The tricky part is when you don't recall something that you wanted to remember, you don't even remember that you've forgotten anything! Because of this blind spot, your ego will never be caught when it truly forgets something. Remembering or recalling something is totally outside your control unless you consciously create a cue to remind you of it. 

Edited March 15, 2020 by StripedGiraffe

[4201]

Very good post, thanks!

I believe If you get an insight that is very meaningful to you, the insight itself is much more than just another memory like your age though. The insight is a pointer to understanding and understanding is a link between a huge amount of memories. The understanding itself is nothing so understanding something feels like a release of energy when experienced. When you understand something you realize you now need to keep track of less things because some of the things you were keeping track of can just be asserted automatically from the rest of what you know. (A single neural network call for the nerds)

So in this way, there perhaps is value to noting it down not to forget you realized that, but you don't need to remember the insight to keep the understanding. 

Anyway, this video is what motivates those thoughts on understanding : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9d0tOpL8ZU 

 

Edited March 15, 2020 by 4201

[StripedGiraffe]

@4201 That's a very good point you made about connecting the dots. My intuition tells me that even though we make a connection or come to an understanding, we can also benefit from strengthening that connection with repetition, especially if it is a high-level abstract connection you might get from doing contemplation, psychedelics, or exploring non-duality. I intuit that it's also possible to "forget" these connections were even made if they are not revisited and built upon. This theory is more mechanistic brain-based and I admit, it is fundamentally limited. However, even when I consider the metaphysical mechanics, which I don't claim to fully understand, it seems intuitive to me that understanding would create a neural connection that could be strengthened with repetitive recall. And that recall might never happen if we don't create a cue. This all theory and speculation lol, I honestly don't know what I'm talking about at all.

[4201]

8 hours ago, StripedGiraffe said:

@4201 That's a very good point you made about connecting the dots. My intuition tells me that even though we make a connection or come to an understanding, we can also benefit from strengthening that connection with repetition, especially if it is a high-level abstract connection you might get from doing contemplation, psychedelics, or exploring non-duality. I intuit that it's also possible to "forget" these connections were even made if they are not revisited and built upon. This theory is more mechanistic brain-based and I admit, it is fundamentally limited. However, even when I consider the metaphysical mechanics, which I don't claim to fully understand, it seems intuitive to me that understanding would create a neural connection that could be strengthened with repetitive recall. And that recall might never happen if we don't create a cue. This all theory and speculation lol, I honestly don't know what I'm talking about at all.

Honestly I think your comtemplation achieved great results. There's nothing that allows me to say I know what I'm talking about any more than you. Perhaps I don't recognize that you can lose an understanding because I cannot recall it happened to me. Further experience with understanding and playing with understandings from a long time ago that I haven't used in a while perhaps will help me get deeper into this topic. I also see the possible trap of "being attached to my understanding" and building an ego around the fact I understand lots of things. Perhaps my attachment to my understandings is what made me reply in the first place because I (ego) didn't like the idea that my understandings are as ephemeral as thoughts or random information.

[Mo0ngrass]

I like the thoughtfulness of this post. In my humble subjective opinion I do see an element of control coming in. As you eloquently expressed we can attempt to support triggering of our "important" memories into our conscious awareness so that we create an environment that supports our higher good. This is a good strategy for initial growth however ime it lacks an element of faith that we will know what we need to remember at any given time.

Some insights hit so deep that there is no need to build a habit, something in the paradigm shifts that cannot be undone. In having behaviour return to previous functioning after an insight indicates to me that there are counter-beliefs interfering with integration of the insight rather than a forgetting.

If this method of controlling the environment and reminders of past insights serves others then by all means do it. Keep in mind that problems in life cannot be permanently dealt with by fear, in this case fear of forgetting. Control of anything but the present moment of awareness is an illusion. 

Daily reflection can be a powerful tool to accelerated personal growth.

Thank you for this. 

Love. 

 

[StripedGiraffe]

@Mo0ngrass Thank you for the thoughtful response. I agree, this certainly has ego and control written all over it. I see the "creating cues strategy" as a sort of a strategy to support specific habits, goals, and integration work, especially after awakening. Thank you for sharing the insight about counter-beliefs interfering with integration. Intuitively, that seems key to me. I had my first enlightenment experience last week and I think my ego is trying to concoct strategies to get back to that state. It's becoming very clear to me that enlightenment is so elusive because it transcends all concepts, thoughts, knowledge, and understanding. The thoughts I had during my enlightenment experience were thoughts I've had many times before. The difference was I was intensely aware of what I am. I think I just need to double down on the practices (meditation, kriya, psychedelics, self-inquiry) as well as unravel and question the delusional beliefs that I have held for decades that, which as you said, are interfering with the integration. Much love my friend.