Couple of weeks ago, there was a late night induced discussion on memory with some friends. We were discussing what a funny thing memory is and the convo switched to the movie Memento. It's about this man who is trying to avenge his wife's brutal murder though he has anterograde amnesia, so he only remembers up to his wife's death and every new experience is only remembered for 15 minutes. Insane. I know.
Discussion came around if something like that occurs to our brain and our perception of reality (based on memories) then how can we separate that from actual reality?
If you tell a lie enough times for long enough, do you start to believe it?
If you only remember what happened and not how you felt, does that mean you haven't really grown from it?
I think I'm struggling with something like that right now. Realization that I remember certain things and not the emotions associated with it (or forgot how it felt) or I don't remember it all. My troubles with memories are stark at it's worst and selective at its best.
The brain is such a great illusionist when it comes to pain and trauma. It masks and masks and masks to protect you. To protect your fragile sense of self and grip on sanity.
1 comment:
i love love love Memento.
and memory has actually been something on my mind after coming across some things from my past that i completely blacked out of my mind.
it's crazy how our memory can be an arbiter of our reality sometimes.
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