Remembering details in books you've read – does it matter?

[aragorn]

I've been thinking about this from time to time, and I'm curious about what you guys think about this.

The thing is, as I've been rereading some books, sometimes for the 3rd, 4th, 5th time (e.g., Political Ponerology, Wave, ISOTM), I've been a bit disappointed to notice that many pages appear "completely new" to me, as if I'd never read them. At times, it has made me wonder what's the point of reading all these non-fiction books if I can't remember what is said in them? On the plus side, I do remember the main gist of the books I've read, and I'd probably know where to look up certain details if needed. And, rereading often clarifies passages further. Still, I'd like to remember more.

I take some comfort in suspecting that even if I can't remember specific details in a book after a while, the reading has still produced some new "synaptic connections" in my brain and, thus, increased my awareness and understanding. Building a 'magnetic center' and all that. Wishful thinking?

Some of you, like Laura, have a photographic memory which enables you to remember almost everything you've read. I sometimes wish I'd had that ability!

What are your views and experiences regarding this?

 

[Asa]

I'm the same as you mate, I don't retain much granular detail. I'd like to, but I don't. However, I think the C's said something like 'it doesn't matter where you are, but who you are and what you see.' without any shadow of a doubt, the material I've read as a result of this forum has catalysed changes in who I am and what I see, and has therefore served it's purpose.

I have become pretty good at distinguishing truth from lies as well, on a kind of gut level. That's probably because the info absorbed in all the reading is retained at an unconscious level, even if I can't consciously recall the granular detail.

 

[brandon]

I think forgetting many details here & there, or long swathes of text, is inevitable for most people, except those with exceptional memories or powers of concentration.. I don't know if bits we've read & forgotten can have formed new connections in our brains, as you said, but I don't see why not. (I imagine that a person's general efforts to utilise the info they've read would strengthen the connections even after the actual text they originally read is forgotten).. Rereading things repeatedly is good - even when there is text I DO basically remember, I find new angles and depths each time I read some things...

Anyway I think it's nothing to worry about, because most importantly, probably each person who reads something has different things they recall, different angles which spoke to them from the text, so when we network, each person sharing their own perspective on the info, we're certainly forming new synaptic connections in the uh, network brain, which we all share...

 

[Goemon_]

Few things that comes to mind:

I think Gurdjieff says something like: I say 10 words to you with my three centers, you ear the first 3 words with one center, the next 4 with another center and the 3 last with the third center.

Nietzsche (couldn't remember how to write this author's name ) is said to put plenty of meaning in just a few words. Laura is sometimes the opposites. She writes the same thing 10 times in 10 different ways so hopefully most people would get what she tries to convey.

Was it in the Ra material ? where they say something like: if you don't understand something we say, live it aside, concentrate on what resonate with you.

Pierre Hillard seems to know everything he writes about by heart but it seems to be connected with his christian ideology or something, so, when presented with a different point of view he can't change his mind, or so it seems. So, basically, he can remember a lot because it all fit into his preconceived idea...

There are some books I can't remember the full title: example: "Relevé provisoire ne nos griefs à l'encontre de la création de la ligne à grande vitesse..." damn it! here it is "Relevé provisoire de nos griefs contre le despotisme de la vitesse à l'occasion de l'extension des lignes du TGV"

Etc.

 

[Mrs. Peel]

Some of you, like Laura, have a photographic memory which enables you to remember almost everything you've read. I sometimes wish I'd had that ability!

What are your views and experiences regarding this?

Oh gosh, I've read so many books since joining up with the Cass group decades ago, and I'm afraid I really don't remember "details" of quite a bit of them.

 

[Carl]

Wish I had a solution to this other than just studying and writing essays on every chapter. Writing really does solidify knowledge. However this takes a crazy amount of time.

With so many books, IMO, often just getting the gist is enough. The details serve to hammer the point home to yourself at the time of reading, and only become important afterwards when transmitting to or debating others.

 

[seek10]

I've been thinking about this from time to time, and I'm curious about what you guys think about this.

The thing is, as I've been rereading some books, sometimes for the 3rd, 4th, 5th time (e.g., Political Ponerology, Wave, ISOTM), I've been a bit disappointed to notice that many pages appear "completely new" to me, as if I'd never read them. At times, it has made me wonder what's the point of reading all these non-fiction books if I can't remember what is said in them? On the plus side, I do remember the main gist of the books I've read, and I'd probably know where to look up certain details if needed. And, rereading often clarifies passages further. Still, I'd like to remember more.

We are exposed to so much information on the forum, which is connecting the dots ( w.r.t individuals experience, so differs from the person to person), it is impossible to remember all. Once Laura mentioned that it takes reading and digesting 3 times to remember it all. In a interesting way, C's would say like Read your own book for some questions to Pierre and Laura. Situation is evolving so fast and furious and dynamically, it is hard remember all of it. Each additional information needs reevaluation of already learned. Luckily our personal experiences, temperaments, curiosities drive that our emotional triggers and makes us to reevaluate.

I take some comfort in suspecting that even if I can't remember specific details in a book after a while, the reading has still produced some new "synaptic connections" in my brain and, thus, increased my awareness and understanding. Building a 'magnetic center' and all that. Wishful thinking?

I don't think it is wishful thinking and we all are doing our best. I tend to put highlights and writes comments in a electronic book. If I don't put my comments, I feel frustrated to read it again the highlights to get that neurons firing. But, putting comments in my own words, avoids all the reading of all highlights, at least reminds the crux of highlight immediately. In a way, this is personal experience rather than one-size-fits-all solution.

Some of you, like Laura, have a photographic memory which enables you to remember almost everything you've read. I sometimes wish I'd had that ability!

Unfortunately I am not in that category. There is a saying 'Take one thing at a time' and it works for me at least in some cases.

 

[Natus Videre]

Detail: "Jimmy climbs over the fence to retrieve his precious ball."
Event: "Jimmy gets attacked by a bulldog."
Concept: "Knowledge protects, ignorance endangers."

Which one do you always remember?

 

[hiker]

The thing is, as I've been rereading some books, sometimes for the 3rd, 4th, 5th time (e.g., Political Ponerology, Wave, ISOTM), I've been a bit disappointed to notice that many pages appear "completely new" to me, as if I'd never read them. At times, it has made me wonder what's the point of reading all these non-fiction books if I can't remember what is said in them? On the plus side, I do remember the main gist of the books I've read, and I'd probably know where to look up certain details if needed. And, rereading often clarifies passages further. Still, I'd like to remember more.

Sounds familiar. My memory used to be a bit better, but I never was able to remember the read texts as they were written, just the broad strokes.

(Incidentally, and although it's a fiction book, I just finished reading "The Lord of the Rings", which I hadn't read in over 15 years, but had read several times prior to that. I recalled the main happenings of course, but was in a way "surprised" about all the finesse, details and the skill of the writing that were there in the story.)

I take some comfort in suspecting that even if I can't remember specific details in a book after a while, the reading has still produced some new "synaptic connections" in my brain and, thus, increased my awareness and understanding. Building a 'magnetic center' and all that. Wishful thinking?

I guess all of our experiences, including the books we have read, are stored "somewhere" non-materially (e.g. information field), and they add up to our combined learning from this life, and are carried onwards to the next one(s).

Thinking about NDE's, it's very usual that the person has a life review, in which s/he goes though every occasion of his/hers life, and everything is remembered clearly from birth to demise.

 

[KristinLynne]

You are not alone with this. Sometimes it the information that hits close to home that I remember the most as the others seem to fade. I wonder if for some of us we have to absorb the info is stages so that we can build upon the previous with a better understanding?

 

[Wandering Star]

I wouldn't worry about this, and in fact it gives you the pleasure of reading a book again and enjoying it.

And a humorous tone, you should not forget the Mandela effect...., and by virtue of your work, you have simply changed to another better dimensional line, more in line with your new energy...

So you discover the new "details" of this change, in the slightly different literature of the new timeline.

 

[Maya]

View attachment 88659
Detail: "Jimmy climbs over the fence to retrieve his precious ball."
Event: "Jimmy gets attacked by a bulldog."
Concept: "Knowledge protects, ignorance endangers."

Which one do you always remember?

You are not alone with this. Sometimes it the information that hits close to home that I remember the most as the others seem to fade. I wonder if for some of us we have to absorb the info is stages so that we can build upon the previous with a better understanding?

Ha hah, this is it ! Few days ago I thought of this....how can some people here manage to remember soooo many details
and know how to explain some concepts. I admire you guys. Greetings from my two brain cells

 

[SOTTREADER]

Ha! Funny that someone started this thread as this is something that has been worrying me for a while !

I couldn't help but notice how much I forgot and so I couldn't help but wonder what the point was?

My thinking is that it's still worth it as even though one may not necessarily keep within retrievable memory most of the important detail of what you read, I believe one still develops a sort of "awareness" for the subject matter. The awareness itself may give the illusion and comfort of knowing (and this is something important to note) but I still do think it must count for something better than pure ignorance.

In terms of pure memory and remembering things, I recently read this book which was an eye opener of the research behind this

Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning – Retrieval Practice

In the book Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, cognitive scientists present key findings and learning strategies drawn from rigorous lab and classroom research.

www.retrievalpractice.org

Summary for anyone who doesn't want to read it

• Just re-reading and writing down what you read doesn't enhance your (long term) memory though it gives you the illusion that you know.
• To learn, retrieve. Basically call up from memory what you think you learnt and then go back and check. Identify where the gaps are, work on them and then repeat.
• Space it out - Spacing boosts learning by spreading retrieval opportunities out over time so learning is not crammed all at once. With spacing, students’ knowledge has had time to rest and be refreshed. Forgetting is good for learning.
• Re-arrange concepts / mix it up -this boosts learning by mixing up closely related topics, which challenges students to compare, contrast, and discriminate.
• Re-write the key takeaways or concepts for whatever it is you are looking to learn in your own words.

All the above is meant to be uncomfortable and difficult but it's exactly this process that makes you learn and remember even though it might not feel that way at the time. At least this is what the research in "making it stick" shows.

I'm yet to fully practice it fyi as only just read the book this holiday season

 

[Beorn]

I feel the same way. Sometimes I look at the books I've read but can't remember anything about them except a basic overview and wonder why I bother. I've started re-reading the books from the recommended list and slowly purchasing the one's I'm missing. In an effort to remember more I'm writing some notes down so hopefully more will stick.

A couple of things come to mind. The first is that the general understanding stays around much longer. I'll have an understanding about something which guides my belief/direction but I wouldn't be able to explain that to someone else in any detail. The second is that the process of reading, forgetting and remembering probably helps to strengthen those connections in the brain.

When l try to memorize a small bit of text I'll make mistakes until I have it. Then I'll make a whole new list of mistakes. I have to laugh because it seems I need to get every word wrong at least once before I can say I have it memorized. Maybe it's a similar concept with reading? But I do wish I had better recall.

 

[Anthony]

I've been thinking about this from time to time, and I'm curious about what you guys think about this.

The thing is, as I've been rereading some books, sometimes for the 3rd, 4th, 5th time (e.g., Political Ponerology, Wave, ISOTM), I've been a bit disappointed to notice that many pages appear "completely new" to me, as if I'd never read them. At times, it has made me wonder what's the point of reading all these non-fiction books if I can't remember what is said in them? On the plus side, I do remember the main gist of the books I've read, and I'd probably know where to look up certain details if needed. And, rereading often clarifies passages further. Still, I'd like to remember more.

I think this is a very common experience, as it's almost impossible to recall all the details from something you've read, and this is the case even with shorter articles, let alone books. I would say that not being able to remember the details doesn't take away from the effort of trying to understand something, as it's a dynamic process that builds on itself, always leading to the next step towards even greater understanding.

Also, a book doesn't seem to be a closed whole with a fixed meaning and which you'll be able to understand fully from the get-go. If you read the same book 5 years from now, you will bring to it new experiences (from personal life, other readings and so on), and you'll see things that you couldn't see previously. And the same would apply to other areas.

For wanting to remember more, here's something that could maybe be of use.