I've been doing a fun and interesting memory exercise this year. Lying in bed, last thing before sleeping or first thing after waking, in that nice drowsy state, I go back to somewhere that I knew well a long time ago but don’t have strong conscious memories of, like my old schools (3 primary, high school and college) or childhood homes or workplaces from long ago.
I start outside the front gate and have a look around the street. Gaps in the shops and houses fill in as I look at them. Then I go inside and wander around. It’s so interesting what the subconscious remembers and what comes up. Walking down a corridor in my high school, I saw a door and I had no idea what was on the other side until I opened it and walked in, and then I’m like, ‘oh, this room, I’d forgotten all about this’. It’s so much fun to re-explore these places. And interestingly, you know how, when you remember your past, all the kids look kind of grown up because you didn’t think of them as kids at the time? In this exercise all the kids look like kids. I find it a great way of putting things into perspective, putting the past into the past instead of carrying it around, and letting go of past grievances. When you see that kid that annoyed you as a little 7 year-old you can just laugh at them. There’s no emotional attachment or aversion, it’s just really nice to walk down memory lane and see the old places and feel a warm fondness. It’s got so that I can see more details like the pattern on the carpet and wallpaper, pictures on the walls etc. Even with recent places I find myself remembering more than I consciously remember. I don’t know if there’s any benefit for the memory but psychologically I find it very beneficial and entertaining.
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