Thought and Memory
I had a dream last night.
The plot wasn't very interesting - let's just sum it up as "don't ride with Mr. Toad even if he looks like Shepherd Book" - but there was a particular moment that catches my attention. I was trying to tell the driver where I live, but I couldn't remember.
My thought process sort of stopped in its tracks at that point. How can I not remember where I live? I thought some more. Nothing. Weird. I thought about it some more in that indirect sort of "I know you're in there" way. Then I started getting information, in a very general-to-specific order: Trees. Other side of the river. Landmark, then the landmark's name. Street name.
I was then able to tell the driver where I lived, at which point things got bizarre (train tracks, old Chevy, flower garden, rising up into the sky) and I woke up.
Thought and Memory are very different things. Thought is a point of consciousness, processing experience and reacting. The reactions are triggered responses intended to spur the organism into appropriate action, some of which responses we've highlighted and labeled "emotions." Our experiences shape our Thought, but Thought acts topologically rather than referentially - it must, in order to be fast enough to deal with the world. (Looking at this description, it seems that Instinct might be a better word than Thought, but it's still a point of consciousness. Maybe the point of consciousness for some entities.)
Memory is a referential system of stored internal states, defining "state" fairly loosely as a collection of thoughts and experiences in time. It also processes and reacts, but its reactions involve recreating associated states rather than initiating specific action. Comparative analysis of associated states, which is largely its function, allows for predictive modeling. It doesn't seem to be a point of consciousness, but rather a broad awareness of patterns.
If Thought is constantly in the present answering the question of What Is, Memory is shifting backward and forward in time answering the question of What If. Thought is what makes us conscious beings able to act in the world; Memory makes us human.
All of which connects to the Egyptian parts of the soul, Norse mythology, Leary's 8 circuits, and my own short list of undead symbolism, but it's time for lunch.
The plot wasn't very interesting - let's just sum it up as "don't ride with Mr. Toad even if he looks like Shepherd Book" - but there was a particular moment that catches my attention. I was trying to tell the driver where I live, but I couldn't remember.
My thought process sort of stopped in its tracks at that point. How can I not remember where I live? I thought some more. Nothing. Weird. I thought about it some more in that indirect sort of "I know you're in there" way. Then I started getting information, in a very general-to-specific order: Trees. Other side of the river. Landmark, then the landmark's name. Street name.
I was then able to tell the driver where I lived, at which point things got bizarre (train tracks, old Chevy, flower garden, rising up into the sky) and I woke up.
Thought and Memory are very different things. Thought is a point of consciousness, processing experience and reacting. The reactions are triggered responses intended to spur the organism into appropriate action, some of which responses we've highlighted and labeled "emotions." Our experiences shape our Thought, but Thought acts topologically rather than referentially - it must, in order to be fast enough to deal with the world. (Looking at this description, it seems that Instinct might be a better word than Thought, but it's still a point of consciousness. Maybe the point of consciousness for some entities.)
Memory is a referential system of stored internal states, defining "state" fairly loosely as a collection of thoughts and experiences in time. It also processes and reacts, but its reactions involve recreating associated states rather than initiating specific action. Comparative analysis of associated states, which is largely its function, allows for predictive modeling. It doesn't seem to be a point of consciousness, but rather a broad awareness of patterns.
If Thought is constantly in the present answering the question of What Is, Memory is shifting backward and forward in time answering the question of What If. Thought is what makes us conscious beings able to act in the world; Memory makes us human.
All of which connects to the Egyptian parts of the soul, Norse mythology, Leary's 8 circuits, and my own short list of undead symbolism, but it's time for lunch.