From Geoff Harding, Sydney, Australia
In my experience of memory retention, it seems that, at the time this occurs, the brain – consciously or unconsciously – places a memory into a category with a rating of importance varying from “retention essential” to “almost discardable”. Memories in the top category can be retained almost indefinitely, while those in the lowest, although probably not completely lost, need considerable stimulation to be retrieved (24 February, p 32).
However, the brain may rejig the category of memories. After a critical exam, for example, the memory of material in a subject of no further interest or importance will inevitably be relegated. Arguably, memory can therefore be enhanced by consciously assessing that some information or particular experience is important, so must be retained.
