[UnrulyR3d]

Is meditation the best/only way to regain/sustain memory?

[therrirl]

I meditate, nightly. I don't think it helps my memory. It does help me sleep.

[Zsych]

Being relaxed makes your mind flow more easily and allows you to recall things more easily - beyond that, practicing memory and looking at things in different ways will help you remember better.

[deckard]

I don't think so. Try a hypnotherapist.

[antistu]

	Originally Posted by UnrulyR3d To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Is meditation the best/only way to regain/sustain memory?

Are you practicing meditation currently or just interested in sustaining memory in general?

[obiwan177]

I too would like to know if anyone has any insights regarding memory retention and things like that.

[UnrulyR3d]

I am interested in memory retention.

I use to be able to cite details from books I have read since childhood, now I can barely summarize the main points of the last book I read. It's even worse with research papers. I've tried mediation, but it has not worked for me. I was hoping someone here could give me some insight.

[deckard]

Repetition? I'm not sure. I've got an extremely long list of songs I can play and recall all the lyrics on cue (sp?).

I've heard people remember names by associating it with an animal.

What is it you're trying to retain? For study?

Cue cards. (am I using the right "cue"? It looks weird, I keep thinking pool cue. Queue?)

Anyway, repetition and association always worked for me to memorize. Recalling life memories is another matter entirely and I have never been very good at that, nor interested enough I suppose.

[TheStranger]

By my standards, I had an exceptional memory as a kid, or even into my early teens. It all seemed to...degenerate from there. Also, short-term memory coincides with intelligence (in general) so, I'm pretty much screwed.

[antistu]

	Originally Posted by UnrulyR3d To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I've tried mediation, but it has not worked for me. I was hoping someone here could give me some insight.

To what degree have you tried meditation? I can't comment for sure if it helps the memory process but I do know proper meditation has drastic effects on the aging process (if done properly and most do not).

[Haumea]

Aerobic exercise such as a sport you like, at least an hour every other day.

[therrirl]

The only thing that seems to help my memory is absolute concentration on the moment of rememberence. If someone gives me a name, I put full focus into the name and take a "snapshot" of the person's face. Then I tend to put an emotional response with that person. I find memory of inconsequential items much harder, as if "not mattering" to me subconciously erases thier existance and meaning. A waste of time destroys my memory in some ways? Re-reflecting on the past through meditation does nothing. In fact it is a way of clearing my mind of distractions and "used RAM" so that I can enter a state where sleep is an option.

[Zsych]

If you want to improve memory - there are plenty of books on that too.

[BostonIan]

In my experience, meditation has made my memory worse. Meditation takes the sharp edges off of emotional experiences, while memories are retained through those same strong emotions, why we remember embarrassing or painful memories most firmly.

The best way I've found to improve memory is simply with memorizing, for which I've mainly used mnemonic systems. The interesting bit was that memorizing simple lists for a few days would bring up a recall of old personal memories, and help things stick inside my head without actively trying.

I try to practice mnemonics daily, because I try to practice meditation daily. For me, they go hand-in-hand.

[imperion]

Technically, your memory benefits the most from sleep.

When I'm conscious, I remember things better if I can connect stuff to what I already know because my memory works well in patterns.

[IslandHead]

	Originally Posted by UnrulyR3d To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Is meditation the best/only way to regain/sustain memory?

REM sleep has been associated with forming and maintaining memories.

[migsa]

does meditation help with visualization?
seems that im a member of the non visual group of people... (when i close my eyes... its all black with lil white spots, and no colorful or black or white images...)

[gestalt]

	Originally Posted by migsa To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	does meditation help with visualization? seems that im a member of the non visual group of people... (when i close my eyes... its all black with lil white spots, and no colorful or black or white images...)

Lots of books and people will tell you that visualization and emotional content can be keys to memory.

One example of this is the book Moonwalking with Einstein. Another example, and a good one of exploitation by advertisers to boot, is the infamous Old Spice commercial:
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
- Memorable, eh? Why? Can you do better? How about combining boring stuff with exciting stuff that makes no sense but is hilarious?

[Polymath20]

	Originally Posted by UnrulyR3d To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Is meditation the best/only way to regain/sustain memory?

No.

1) Diet is extremely important for neurological health. Substances such as calcium, magnesium and cholesterol have direct impacts on synaptic function.

2) Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates neurogenesis.

3) Learning, reading, and anything that challenges your brain improves working memory.