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Connection Between Concentration and Memory Power

 

 Link That Connects Concentration And Memory Power

Are you often forgetting your cell phone? Have you ever walked into a room for something, but forgotten what it was? Are unable to recollect names or phone numbers or street names?  You probably answered yes to at least one, if not all, of these examples— you are not alone. We are all prone to committing the memory error known as absentmindedness . These lapses in memory are caused by breaks in attention or our focus being somewhere else, according to Cynthia, a psychologist (personal communication, September 5, 2013).

Psychologist Daniel Schacter (2001), a well-known memory researcher, offers seven ways our memories fail us. He calls them the seven sins of memory and categorizes them into three groups:forgetting, distortion and intrusion. One of the sins mentioned is 'absentmindedness', forgetting caused by lapses in attention.

Concentration is the ability to focus the mind on one subject, object, or thought, and at the same time exclude from the mind every other unrelated thought, ideas, feelings, and sensations. As my mother often likes to point out, when I play games or watch movies everything around me ceases to exist for me. Memory is the ability to store information as well as past experiences and events for future learning and understanding. 


“For the majority of people, it’s not a memory problem per se, but it’s more of a concentration or organisational problem where they’re not getting the information initially or they’re not processing it correctly in the first place,” says Aaron Binner-Jackson, PhD, a neuropsychologist with Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. “They say they have a memory problem when in fact trouble with concentration, focus or organisation is the underlying issue.”


One of the biggest challenges our generation faces is lack of focus. Due to constant distractions we are unable to come out of the clutches of scattered focus. Lack of focus results in either incompleteness of task or inability to execute efficiently and effectively.   “We’re really wired to be monotaskers, meaning that our brains can only focus on one task at a time, '' says neuropsychologist Cythia Kubu, PhD. “When we think we’re multitasking, most often we aren’t really doing two things at once, but instead, we’re doing individual actions in rapid succession, or task-switching,” she says.


Improving concentration and memory power is important when trying to accomplish tasks. The age old mantra - to have sharp memory, we should have complete focus is vital for the efficacious completion of the desired task. Meditation plays a significant role in improving concentration. Meditation is a practice where we focus the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. In other words it is a tool when practiced creates a state of mind where one thought prevails. It helps to move from fickle-mindedness to one-pointedness. 


As a fellow practitioner of meditation I feel it enhances our ability to focus million folds thus enabling us to operate with resourcefulness. By implementing this practice I am able to strike the right balance between hard work and smart work. One prominent change that I noticed in myself among several others is drastic improvement in my concentration. Tasks that would take 2-3 hours for completion, I am able to accomplish them in half of the original time taken. I am more level minded in situations that demand otherwise and as a result get less stressed.


I feel the present generation has a lot of challenges that they are facing today, but we also have a lot of tools we can use  to overcome them and set the right example for the future generations.



by:Prakash





References:

Cherry, Kendra. "10 Unforgettable Facts about Your Memory and Our Lives." Verywell Mind:https://www.verywellmind.com/facts-about-memory-2795359

Milanowski, Ann. "Why Improving Your Concentration Helps Your Memory." Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic, 15 Oct. 2020:https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-improving-your-concentration-helps-your-memory/

Team, Brain and Spine. "The Science Is Clear: Why Multitasking Doesn't Work." Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic, 10 Mar. 2021:https://health.clevelandclinic.org/science-clear-multitasking-doesnt-work/

Stanlake, Matthew, and Matthew Stanlake. "Why Meditation Should Be Taught in Schools. Now!" Upwell Health Collective. 06 Apr. 2021:https://upwellhealth.com.au/why-meditation-should-be-taught-in-schools-now/



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