Buzz
As people age, they spend more time reflecting on the past. This is completely natural because with age comes a wealth of life experiences.
In many cases, reminiscence is used as a method to treat depression and cognitive decline. This is because each type of memory recall has a different impact on our psychology.
According to psychologists Lisa Watt and Paul Wong, there are 6 common types of memories that most people go through in their lives. Let's delve into the value they bring to our lives through the article below.
Revisiting Haunting Memories
Haunting memories focus on negative events from the past, often accompanied by a bitter taste. They tend to replay multiple times, even when those experiences no longer significantly impact our present lives.
A classic example of haunting memories is the feeling of survivor's guilt. Despite being victims of a tragic event, survivors often carry a sense of guilt for having lived while others perished.
Haunting memories pose challenges in moving forward and learning lessons from the past. Therefore, they are considered harmful, and individuals with this type of reminiscence should seek psychological counseling early on.
Escapist Reminiscence
This is the phenomenon of 'running back to the past' – the feeling that the past is always better than the present. This type of reminiscence often occurs when current life doesn't meet our expectations. As a result, we seek memories from the past, sometimes exaggerating them to escape the painful reality we're facing.
Reflecting on beautiful memories is not seriously harmful. On the contrary, it helps us feel optimistic, comfortable, and hopeful for a better future.
However, excessive optimism about the past can lead to procrastination in addressing current life issues, making the situation worse. Moreover, it could be a sign of mental health concerns that we need to pay attention to.
Narrative Reminiscence
Narrative reminiscence is simply recounting events from the past. We often see this in the elderly and during gatherings of long-time friends. The show 'Our Times' is a classic example of this type of reminiscence.
Narrative reminiscence can lead to positive conversations but doesn't necessarily help us understand ourselves or others better.
Transmitting Memories
'My parents had to balance school and helping grandparents with their business when I was your age...' Most of us have heard stories like this from older family members. This is transmitting reminiscence – narrating a past experience to convey a lesson, life experience, or traditional value to the listener.
Transmitting reminiscence, in general, is beneficial. It not only helps the listener absorb knowledge but also brings joy to the storyteller as they assist others. However, the storyteller should be mindful of expression and context to avoid turning the story into 'lecturing' or coercing the listener to follow their own experiences.
Specific Reminiscence
Specific reminiscence occurs when we recall a past experience to seek advice for a current issue we are facing. This differs from transmitting reminiscence as it only happens when we encounter difficulties and doesn't necessarily have to be shared with others.
This type of reminiscence is constructive. It helps us directly confront negative aspects of the past to find valuable lessons for the present. Therefore, it is often applied in psychological counseling. Counselors ask open-ended questions to help us reflect on the past effectively and find solutions to current issues.
Integrated Reminiscence
Integrated reminiscence combines both good and bad memories of an experience, helping us find answers to the question 'why did this happen?'. As a result, we understand ourselves better and identify the root cause of a lingering issue, enabling appropriate intervention.
Integrated reminiscence often helps us recognize the difference between ideals and reality, accept unchangeable traits, and find ways to live in harmony with them.
For instance, when you first enter the workforce, you often find yourself multitasking and often get reprimanded by your boss for it. Despite your efforts, you couldn't understand why you couldn't work as efficiently as your colleagues.
Then one day, you happen to learn and realize that introverted individuals tend to struggle with processing too much information at once (medium.com). Upon reflection, you notice that skilled multitasking colleagues tend to be extroverted, while you belong to the introverted category – this is the root cause of the issue you're facing.
By recognizing this trait, you gain a better understanding of yourself. Instead of trying to overcome the challenge of multitasking, you can eliminate tasks that require this skill and find a career path more suitable for yourself.
Applying Types of Reminiscence in Life Besides haunting reminiscence, the remaining types play crucial roles in our lives. For example, when we encounter a problem, we can apply them as follows:
Keyword: Exploring 6 Types of Memories Everyone Has Encountered
