Human Memory

Human Memory
[Vinod Anand]

Is ordinary knowledge confined to the material level, the abstract level, or is it a bit of both? Another question may arise: If ordinary knowledge is partly material and partly abstract, is there an extraordinary, super-conscious knowledge which is totally unrelated to the material body and exclusively associated with the abstract level?

The way in which you withdraw yourself froth all worldly factors determines how the action of knowing takes place. The human mind has two contradictory inherent tendencies: one of acquisition, the other of sacrifice.

The more you advance along the path of evolution, the more the second tendency, the spirit of sacrifice, becomes prominent. You wish to share your mental pleasure with others. This is an interesting aspect of human psychology. The vibrations created in the mind are abstract, and the other vibrations are material.

The action of knowing occurs through the medium of sound, touch, taste, smell and form. Suppose you listen to something, say a sound representing asoyari raga. It is imprinted in the mind. Later you listen to the same sound and are reminded of similar vibrations previously experienced.

Comparing the one raga (musical notes) with the other, you conclude that the latter is indeed asoyari raga. You may not know anything about music, but the mind already danced to that musical wave. There are certain notations, both in instrumental music and in vocal music, which are very rhythmic.

When these sounds strike the ear’s membrane they produce similar vibrations; concordant rhythmic vibrations are experienced. You may have noticed that whenever members of an audience listen to rhythmic notes, whether from vocal or instrumental music, they move their legs.

They do this unknowingly. The cause is that the rhythmic vibration produced in the mind strikes the (efferent) nerves. The vibration that made the mind dance is thus transmitted down to the nerves of the legs.

Consequently, the mind is unconsciously causing the legs to move. This happens with everyone; some do it consciously, others unconseious1y.

Those who do it unconsciously stop the movement of their legs the moment they are aware that others are watching them. In the case of excessive joy or enthusiasm, the mind loses its control over the nerves. For example, suppose two football teams are playing a friendly match, and one of them enjoys your special support.

Let us imagine that your favourite team is about to score a goal. At that moment of tense excitement, you will also move your legs, unconsciously of course.

By now you should have understood that a major part of the knowing process is material, and only a small part of it is abstract. Basically, the mind performs two functions: thinking and memorizing. What is the process of committing something to memory? Suppose you heard a sound: that very sound leaves an imprint on your mind, and vibrates it.

Now, if at a later date you can recreate a similar vibration, a replica of the original one; that is your memory. The recreation of things already perceived by the mind is called memory. The exact mental reproduction of what has been previously perceived is called smriti or memory.

When the memory becomes established, unfailing and spontaneous, it is called dhruvasmriti, or constant memory Dhruvasmriti, or constant memory, is an essential prerequisite for spiritual