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Title:  Understanding the Mental Process of Thoughts and Emotions

Author:  Tim Birmingham

Chapter 5
Emotional Memory

Unraveling the mysteries of the mind one must develop a understanding of how information is stored and the powerful affects of these memories.  Memories carry information and experiences across time and adds to ones interpretation of the internal and external events of their own environments.  Memories, simply stated are internal recordings of external world.  Actually memories are part of the nerves cells in the central nervous system.  Whereas external events in life actually modify cells to become part of our internal structure.  Once information received by the senses, the brain analyzes this data and stores it in a manner that it recognized by the brain/mind.  This information is later associated and recalled as needed in life.

To further break down how memories are received, stored and recalled we will look at the three-fold aspect or three types of memories;  sensory memory (sm), short-term memory (stm) and long-term memory(ltm). 

Sensory Memory (SM)

Sensory memory is simply a snapshot (quick flash) of information received by the senses.  It retains information  only a few seconds, or less.  This stimulus is either processed further into the memory storage system or dumped as non-essential information.  The information received by sensory memory is believed to be primarily visual or audio input.  Information that is deemed essential is transferred from external stimulus to brain language if it is to be retained.  Most stimulus is dumped after 2 seconds or less as it is not considered important to happiness and survival of the human being. 

Short-Term Memory (STM)

Memory deemed essential is passed on to short-term memory, also known as working memory.  Working memory refers to what we are doing at that particular time.  STM's are literally that, short-term, 30 seconds.  It is created by our paying attention to an external stimulus, an internal thought, or both.  STM are very limited in it's capacity which means it can only store limited amount of information for a short period of time until it is deemed unessential or transferred further into brain language onto Long-Term Memory.  STM can consist of information from Long-Term Memory as well.

Long-Term Memory (LTM)

Long-Term Memory (LTM) is memory stored that has been interpreted to have a significant meaning.  It can last as long as 30 seconds or a life-time.  STM becomes LTM through the process of rehearsal, meaningful association, or as memory that is deemed essential for life.  As a memory becomes LTM the structure of cells and neurons actually change.  These memories actually take on a physical presence inside the nervous system in our bodies.  The availability of this memory depends on the depth in which memory was processed. The charge within LTM is often transferred and affects or present task which is a part of our working or short-term memory.

Emotionally Charged Memory (ECM)

There are memories which have no emotional response, then there are emotional charged memories.  ECM's can consist of positive and negative energy.  This is all dependant upon the individuals genetic design, the amount of happiness or pain associated with the memory, and the brains interpretation of information.  To understand the emotional charged memory we must further dissect the memory itself and how it became a part of one's own nervous system.  Since this work focuses on reality preparedness we will take a close look at an ECM that can stimulate a adverse stress response in the face of danger.  Keep in mind that emotionally charge memories can have a positive or negative affect, depending on the ECM itself. 

Creation of a ECM

EXAMPLE
Life Event:   You are very young.  You are being held in your mothers arms.  The air is warm and the sun is shining.  The smell of fresh cut grass is in the air. You hear a deep male voice talking in the background.  You see the sun, you feel the warmth, you smell the freshly cut grass, you hear the voice.  Suddenly your mother drops you onto the concrete surface below.  You land hard, hitting head first.  You scream from the pain and the threat to survival.  You are injured to a degree of severe pain but no permanent physical damage.

Sensory Input:  Pressure of being held in mothers arms, warmth of the sun, the brightness of the sun, the smell of cut grass, deep voice, and pain.

Result:  Pain, increase heart and respiration, threat to survival.

Brain Language Created: As previously discussed input must be transferred into brain language.  For illustration purposes I will transfer input into a example of Brain Language.

Being held in mothers arms=(+1)
Warmth of the sun= (+2)
Brightness of the sun= (*3)
Smell of cut grass= (*4)
Deep male voice = (*5)
Pain of the Fall= (-1)

Thus the event itself is stored into a brain language of +1+2*3*4*5-1.  This is an actual creation or modification in the neurological system of the nervous system.  This becomes a ECM and a part of you.  As life continues other ECM's are created.  Some having a positive and others having negative energy. ECM 1=+1+2*3*4*5-1

Memory Stimulation by Association

Memories can be worked with and recalled in many ways.  The brain/mind in all its complexity is ever changing and evolving and the study of its function is never-ending for most who research it.  There are no set rules that apply to each and every person because of the individual himself.  Yet for the purpose of this study as it relates to combat and preparedness, we will look into recall through association and categorization.  Association or the process of forming mental connections is a remarkable trait of the brain function.  Input from the senses that is deemed essential often times can stimulate emotions.     Neurons or neuronal patterns of incoming stimulus is scanned by the brain to attach importance to the stimulus.  If a new, incoming stimulus is deemed as essential to life, it can be associated with life threatening or traumatic experiences of the past.  Thus stimulating an emotionally charged memory can result in a stress response or internal alarm.  Individual response to the same stimulus is dependant upon the person and one's experience.  Whereas a sound of a firecracker may stimulate excitement in a child, it could actually place a combat soldier under stress and stimulate a fear response. 

Below is a model of how memory recall or memory stimulation by association can affect one's life.

Likewise any sensory input from the time the emotional memory was created can possibly open the negative energy in
ECM 1.  This process is given as an example only, as most mentally healthy adults would not be negatively stimulated by a deep male voice as other emotional (positive memories) of a deep male voice will override or balance any negative that could be stimulated.  This example is only given as a guide that one might learn how emotional memory is stimulated by association and how the mind and body responds to present day input and associates itself with past events.

Memory Stimulation by Categorization

To understand categorization lets us consider the emotionally charged memory (ECM 1), as illustrated above, is a predominantly painful memory and is classed or categorized as a Pain Memory.  In present life if one senses pain then the stimulation of the emotions inside this memory can activated and come to life in present time  The brain is very complex in nature and can reference and cross-reference in may different ways.

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