Memory is always the one that can bring us back to everywhere we missed. People always forget and remember things. When I was a kid, my grandfather always told us that although they are old and not able to remember a lot, they still remember several events vividly just like a video playing in front of them. They can still talk about the details from that time like what kind of dress my grandma wore for their first date or what he’s feeling when he heard there was something important happened to their family. Flashbulb memory plays a big role here.
The flashbulb memory is “a person’s memory for the circumstances surrounding shocking, highly charged events (Chapter 8, 2014)”, which is the situation my grandparent have experienced. Through their description, I acknowledged lots of things from their generation. However, some of my grandpa’s memory is strange to be remembered such as I do not think people will normally remember what kind of sock he wore for the day from a long time ago, although he taught me that it is a very special day. I understand it after I know more about flashbulb memory. According to Perera, “the amygdala seems to play a role in the formation and retrieval of flashbulb memories (Perera, 2021).” In an fMRI test, the amygdala area highly reacts to emotion. The existent of the amygdala in flashbulb memory decides that it focuses more on emotion instead of memory itself. That’s why although both of my grandparents remember the event, they can have a big argument about what their friends said sometimes. The feeling that they received can affect how well they remembered the event.
We are always remembering and forgetting our memory. It is surprising that emotion can help us remember more details thoughtfully. Flashbulb memory is a person’s memory that is affected by the situation around, which is because the amygdala is playing a big part here. Although we have lots of events and things that need to be remembered, and we will keep losing something unconsciously, the feeling we felt will sometimes help us make it long-lasting whether bad or good.

Reference:
Perera, A. (2021, March 3). Flashbulb memory. Flashbulb Memory | Simply Psychology.
Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/flashbulb-
memory.html.
Cengage Learning. (2014). Chapter 8. In Cognitive psychology connecting mind,
research and Everyday experience. essay.

A man, Scott Bolzan, lost his memory by accident and he has no memory of his past, including his memory with his wife, daughter, and family. He said he has no emotional connection with the pictures they took before. According to himself, “The best word I can use to describe it is just being lost. Because I lost who I am (Patria, 2010).” We always recall the memory about either from our childhood memory or last week. Memory is closely connected with our personal life, although it is not an obvious thing before you try to memorize something. Whenever we try to go back to our past, we need to go through a process called memory retrieval. Amnesia is a brain disease that cannot retrieve memory from the past, which means it makes us fail to go through the process. However, the types of amnesia and the corresponding reasons can be various as well, and the reason for Bolzan’s Amnesia is also important to be discussed.
The memory process is essential before understanding the types. Talking about the memory process, we need to understand the concept of short-term memory and long-term memory. The short-term memory only lasts for a few seconds and the long-term memory can last for a long time. We need to practice the thing we want to remember to make it become a long-term memory. There is a model called the modal model well explained the concept. Lots of people have acknowledged amnesia before, which is also a popular topic in tv dramas. This does not only appear in television shows but also everyday life. There are 2 major types of amnesia, which are retrograde amnesia and anterograde amnesia. For Bolzan, he fails to recall the memory, which is a retrograde amnesia appearance. It describes the patients who cannot recall the memory from the past. The anterograde amnesia is kind of the opposite, which is not able to tun short-term memory to long-term memory. Different amnesia has different reasons. Injure with the brain, medication, alcohol, cancer, or stroke, and so on can be a reason for memory loss. Scott Bolzan had a slip in the men’s restroom, he had a head injure afterward. According to the interview, he says the reason that he received from the doctor is there is no blood running through his temporal lobe, which is a place for having long-term memory, and that accidentally causes the loss of his memory. Through the feeling of sadness, anger, and so on, Bolzan finally accepted the result.
Memory is always needed practices to become a long-term memory, the one we can recall at any time and anywhere.

Reference:

Patria, B. W. A. M. (2010, April 20). Man With Amnesia Lost 46 Years in Workplace Slip. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/amnesia-man-hits-head-loses-memories/story?id=10396719

Amnesia: Types, Tests, Diagnosis, Symptoms & Causes. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21455-amnesia

Brown, B. (2021, July 28). The Most Common Causes Of Memory Loss. Forbes Health. https://www.forbes.com/health/healthy-aging/memory-loss-causes/

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