Neuro Framing

Have you seen the film "Momento"? Its written in a non linear fashion and tells of one mans struggle to recollect important facts pertaining to a murder impaired by a severe memory disorder. The character tattoos details of his identity into his skin in order to assist him in retention. His identity at any given moment is defined solely by just how much information is recorded in his skin. As you watch the film you find yourself drawn in by his fascinatingly repetitive act of finding himself.  

I lot of people I now are going through trying times of personal discovery. The label I hear commonly used to categorize this period is usually something along the lines of "finding oneself". I believe that memory can be a powerful trigger of personal identity. And I believe that a distorted memory can lead one towards a distorted sense of self later in life. 

Its difficult to retain every single bit of information we ingest on a daily basis. Yet, over years and years we are selective with which memories we retain. I have noticed through the act of journaling about my personal history that memories that have been squashed down for years have popped up. I will admit not all my memories serve me in a positive manner. And for that reason I truly attest to the power of using memory to shape a more positive future. I believe you can change certain negative views about your current personal identity through a regressive technique of revisiting memories and healing them through introducing a positive interpretation of their true meaning. 

Ill share one of these memories as an example. When i was younger my parents kept a display cabinet for our trophies and photos from sports and extra curricular activities. I remember that inside this cabinet was a picture of my brother and myself wearing different placed pins from a sprint race for the "green team". I am wearing a 2nd place ribbon and my brother a 3rd place in the photo. The photo has stuck in my mind for a very long time as representative of my achievement in sports as a youth. Im a much better athlete as an adult but it takes a lot of moxie for me to compete against others. 

Recently I found a dog eared photograph of my brother and i which was taken during that same primary school sports day afternoon. In the photo im wearing a pin that shows a 1st place ribbon. The picture is special to me because it was never one that was displayed in my house. The moment I discovered it I felt released from this jaded view of my sporting ability. 

Imagine if I had revisited the first photograph with humor and contradicted my negative attitude by remembering the second. I think its pretty magical how one impression can color your history and simultaneously change your future.