What is memory?

What is memory?

MEMORY: 

1. the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information

2. something remembered from the past; a recollection

The human memory is something that has been studied and researched over 2000+ years. everything we know is comprised by human memory, from learning to speak, until the memories we create today. various people have formulated research into the human memory, having completed experiments; such as in the 1960's where it was thought that memory didn't only exist in the human brain, but also in other cells, known as cellular memory. experiments were conducted, these were referred to as "memory transfer", where they used canibal flatworms, and recipients of organ transplants, to survey the fact. it was reported that recipients had taken on new habits or memories after their transplants. however, this is now considered mistaken and has been disregarded in todays scientific journals. 

a really interesting article on the history of memory writes:  18th Century English philosopher David Hartley was the first to hypothesize that memories were encoded through hidden motions in the nervous system, although his physical theory for the process was rudimentary at best." this shows that the history of memory is extremely vast ageing back decades. Hartley was only one of many in the 18th century to be working on this type of research. in america, William James was doing research into something named "natural memory", which was later used in the creation of Ribots Law, which states: "that amnesia has a time-gradient in that recent memories are more likely to be lost than the more remote memories (although in practice this is actually not always the case)."

however I will be working on trauma and memory, and how EMDR functions in regards to that topic specifically. EMDR works by clearing the emotional/psychological blockage created in the brain by a trauma, enabling the person to move on in a healthier way. EMDR uses Bilateral stimulation (left to Right) to repetitively activate each side of the brain, enabling the blockage to be cleared. this has been proven over years of extensive research. 

"The therapist works gently with the client and asks him/her to revisit the traumatic moment or incident, recalling feelings surrounding the experience, as well as any negative thoughts, feelings and memories. The therapist then holds her fingers about eighteen inches from the clients face and begins to move them back and forth like a windshield wiper. The client tracks the movements as if watching ping pong. The more intensely the client focuses on the memory, the easier it becomes for the memory to come to life. As quick and vibrant images arise during the therapy session, they are processed by the eye movements, resulting in painful feelings being exchanged for more peaceful, loving and resolved feelings." - http://www.emdr-therapy.com/emdr.html