From: Van oost Kenneth (kennethvanoost@belgacom.net)
Date: Thu 12 Jun 2003 - 15:11:33 GMT
----- Original Message -----
From: <joedees@bellsouth.net>
> Knowing = being able to remember. If you cannot remember something
> any more, you no longer know it; you have forgotten it.
Joe,
I have to agree on this one, I am sure, but IMO the fact remains that
despite
a lot of facts, the truth about what memory is and what memories really are
is far from proven.
Reality, whatever that is, is not in the benefit of memory. Memory fails us,
more often and it does induce memories which we rather get rid off than
we wish to be remerbered by.
Memory needs associations, not remerbering what you did on 31/ 08/ 1997
is not a shame, but you will remerber suddenly certain things, better, if
one
told you it was the day that Princess Diana died.
The same can be said about your birthday though_ you smell a certain sent
and suddenly you are being dragged towards a special gift, a surprise-
party...
But, Gary Lynch for one, argues in a program on Dutch television that, if we
ever will find out how the brain works and what thus the mind will be, the
mind will be defined on a completely different template.." we know nothing
",
he says_ and I do have to concur with this statement. Memory must coincide
with reality. If you do make your own story about things that happened you
get into trouble_ some pictures have to coincide with what is commonly
known. The same can be said about memory and memories itself/ them-
selves.
Memory as such and like it is, is part of science nowadays_ we all agree on
that and on its existence, but is also a story that we hold up to ease the
social
intercourse. We agree on the fact that there is memory for we ought to
function
within society, depending on it !
Only the future will tell, if thus memory itself and as such and as like it
is exist
or not, or that it is just yet another part of Plato's IdeasWorld !?
And, to conclure, the fact that you do, can remerber your birthday at will,
can be explained by Wade's scheme.
It is the very fact of the 1000 and 1000 associations that makes that birth-
day is constantly " in your mind ". Nothing, in a way excludes its presence.
It is the vast fact of the 1000 and 1000 venue- inducements that explains
the
continuance of the fact ' birthday ', like it is experienced as in memory.
The constant bombardment by numerous venue- inducements of all kinds
makes that we experience those as " memories "...
Venues persist in the making of as many performances as possible so that
performances can be ' performed ' . Remerbering your birthday is just one
performance that the cultural venue needs for its ' evolution '_ in order to
mutate, and to be selected by it needs observable aspects as much as it
possibly can induce, to encourage ' expected ' performances...that is here
remerbering your birthday.
Regards,
Kenneth
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