Can stress cause memory loss and confusion?
Not if you've got a gun in your face.
Like Ben Thomas.
Ben was walking through an L.A. neighborhood when he was robbed at gunpoint.
Next day, when the detective asked him to identify the perpetrator, Ben was able to do it very easily.
Over time, however, the author who experienced this violent incident, reported that he "remembered fewer images and more facts: the colors of the thief's hoodie and pants, the words he'd said, even the exact time displayed on my iPod (12:36) at the moment I'd handed it over to him".
Why would Ben remember more facts than images?
It's because some memories formed under highly stressful situations get so strongly encoded in our brains that we never forget them.
But does that mean you should put yourself under stress to memorize your sales presentation?
The Answer Is A Big NO!
Because, in general, stress impairs memory, makes you forget things or even remember things differently.
Ben, for instance, could recall the thief's face vividly for a day or two but after a few weeks, he couldn't picture the guy's face at all.
And keep in mind that Ben's no dummy.
He's not only an author, but also someone who happens to be an independent researcher who studies consciousness and the brain.
High IQ or not…
When we're stressed, some memories stick like super glue while others get warped or lost.
For that reason, please understand this:
It's never a good idea to induce stress when trying to memorize a book, your lessons or your campaign presentation.
You never know what essential information your brain will skip remembering!
Instead, increase focus and concentration from the ground up using a WRAP technique:
When Are You Under Stress? A Scientific Definition
This quote is worth reading twice:
"When an organism faces emotional distress or is physically challenged the autonomic nervous system, a subdivision of the sympathetic nervous system, is automatically activated. Once activated, a cascade of physiological changes occurs that better enables an organism to confront (i.e. fight, freeze) or escape (i.e. flee) danger. The term "stress" applies to the condition under which the autonomic nervous system is activated and stress hormones are released." (Impairing and Enhancing Effects of Psychosocial Stress on Episodic Memory and Eyewitness Report, Siobhan Marie Hoscheidt, 2011)
And guess what?
When you're frozen, or busy running away, learning gets really tough.
Worse, there's a part of the brain that controls stress that can really wreak havoc on your focus and concentration.
When you undergo a stressful event, the amygdala – a part of the brain that enables emotional processing – sends a distress call to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is like a command center that communicates with the rest of your body through the nervous system so that you have the energy to fight or flee.
Stress Can Make You Forget Things… Even If You're a Memory Champion
Want in on a little secret?
Stress doesn't discriminate between the regular Joe, a presidential candidate or a memory champ.
It does and will mess with your brain.
Like it did for world memory champion Jonas Von Essen.
When Jonas was called to recite the closing credits of Newsnight from memory, he Published on 7 years, 8 months ago
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