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Subject:
Functions of memory & time - relating to intelligence, philosophy & depression
Category: Reference, Education and News > Teaching and Research Asked by: andy_920-ga List Price: $17.50 |
Posted:
25 Jun 2002 22:30 PDT
Expires: 22 Jul 2002 16:54 PDT Question ID: 33346 |
I am looking for references to book titles, names of researchers, foundations, web sites, or anything of the sort that are seriously examining the functions of memory & time in certain people's mental/emotional makeup. In particular, studying intelligent people with exceptional memories and how they interact with the passage of time in their lives. My hypothesis is that certain people with exceptional memories may have difficulty interfacing with the ever-moving present moment as it becomes the past. They record, memorialize and dwell on the past, because it lives so vividly in their minds (they CAN'T stop remembering) and the passage of time becomes a source of depression for them. These people may be plagued with such thoughts as "All is fleeting, all is for naught, nothing exists for but a moment." This is different from classical depression -- I do not want information about depression that excludes the role of memory. However, I do suspect that an exceptional memory is NOT the cause of this depression -- it is simply playing a part in a flawed or painful way of thinking -- but I am interested in how the memory and depression interact. Potential subjects that may play a role in this: * the Greek dichotomy of chronos and kairos time * a certain book (I don't know the author or title) that examined two specific men, one of them a painter (the other a poet maybe?) who obsessively recorded the past, and believed that the passage of time & memory were a vital key to life's deepest meanings. I saw this book once, but I can not find it at Amazon.com * Anything in the above book's bibliography, or sources it drew upon, would be supremely helpful, though probably more than I can fairly expect from a researcher. Please, NOTHING about improving one's memory, memory games, etc. Thank you very much for your help. Please advise if this topic is too time-intensive or broad. I am aware that the price I've set is probably too low, but I will adjust accordingly, after someone comes forth who feels qualified and committed to the subject. |
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There is no answer at this time. |
The following answer was rejected by the asker (they received a refund for the question). | |
Subject:
Re: Functions of memory & time - relating to intelligence, philosophy & depression
Answered By: thx1138-ga on 26 Jun 2002 09:53 PDT Rated: ![]() |
Hi andy_920, and thanks for the question. I too can follow your line of thinking, and your ideas seem to make good sense. Here is a list of websites and resources dealing with the correlation between intelligence and depression, including details of publications and author contacts (where possible) Depression is now the most frequent complaint heard by primary care physicians, and a link between intelligence and depression is being explored by researchers throughout the world. Dr. James N. Herndon suggests: "There is a significant positive correlation between intelligence and the likelihood of suffering from major depression; in other words, the more intelligent you are, the more likely you are to become severely depressed. http://www.1stpm.org/articles/spiral.html Dr. James N. Herndonsībook is available here, there is also a business contact e-mail for him too: http://www.depressionchannel.com/ Block et al. (1991, cited in Nolen-Hoeksema et al. 1994) found that there was a higher correlation between depression and intelligence in adolescent girls than boys. http://web.bham.ac.uk/psg5qaf8/thesis/chapter2.doc Contact details for Nolen-Hoeksema can be found here (including work e-mail): http://www.umich.edu/~psycdept/Faculty/snolen-hoeksema.html The correlation between high intelligence and happiness is far from perfect." http://www.ucsc.edu/oncampus/currents/98-99/11-16/depression.htm Professor Gjerde (interviewed in the above website) is Professor of Psychology at the University of California Santa Cruz his webpage is available here which includes a list of his publications and his work e-mail address: http://psych.ucsc.edu/Content/Faculty/pGjerde.html Phoenix, Arizona, May 13, 1999: Are smarter people more depressed? Are depressed people more submissive? http://www.prweb.com/releases/?8071 Is there a connection between depression and intelligence? Sure, largely in the same way that there's a connection between bachelorhood and unmarriedness. We're practically defining intelligence as the ability to find fault, to deconstruct. http://isomorphisms.org/archives/archive-01202002-01262002.html In a study of females, a significant correlation was found between intelligence and depressive systems, although it is not known to what extent this is caused by rejection by peers (Block, Gjerde, and Block, 1991). http://web.mit.edu/womens-studies/www/writ96.html Homework Assignment #5 from Oakland University asked the students to Write a single statement that summarizes each relationship Correlation of -.02 between intelligence and depression http://www.oakland.edu/~sifonis/Classes/Exp250/Home/Home5.html The contact details for the department of Psychology can be found here: http://www2.oakland.edu/psych/ FROM THE FLOOR: Is there any correlation between depressed persons and intelligence quotient? DR. CASSEM: There is in one really pronounced group. That is depression and intelligence in our artists. http://www.med.harvard.edu/publications/On_The_Brain/Volume2/Special/QA.html An interesting discusion group talks briefly about Intelligence and Discussion: Now here is a lesson from evolution on depression and INTELLIGENCE. http://www.planetpsych.com/_disc1/000000ec.htm Details of a research project dealing with depression and memory: Research project The specificity of autobiographical memory and depression: an investigation of the predictive validity of the autobiographical memory test.... http://cwisdb.cc.kuleuven.ac.be/research/P/3H01/project3H010258.htm A self test from the Rocamora school: We are a non-profit organization that provides ongoing educational and transformational resources primarily for gifted and talented adults. Do you suffer from extraordinarily high levels of fear and anxiety or suffer attacks of psychological depression? http://www.rocamora.org/gift_selftest.html From Dorothy Farrand, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist At the moment I am involved in a collaborative research project investigating the connection between memory and depression. http://www.ksu.edu/counseling/staff.html Unfortunatly I couldnīt find the book you described but this book might help you with your research Kuyken, W., & Dalgleish, T. (1995). Autobiographical memory and depression. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 34, 89-92. http://www.psychol.uni-giessen.de/~pohl/AutoMemLit.htm The Biography and contact details for Dr. Willem Kuyken BSc PhD (co-author of the above book ) are available here: http://www.ex.ac.uk/Psychology/staff/profiles/wkuyken.html I hope some of the leads above will lead you along the right path for your research. Good Luck THX1138 Some of the search startegies I used were: "memory and depression" ://www.google.com/search?hl=pt&ie=ISO-8859-1&as_qdr=all&q=+%22memory+and+depression%22+&btnG=Pesquisa+Google&lr= "exceptional memory " research depression ://www.google.com/search?hl=pt&ie=ISO-8859-1&as_qdr=all&q=+%22exceptional+memory+%22+research+depression&btnG=Pesquisa+Google&lr= time memory depression intelligent ://www.google.com/search?q=time+memory+depression+intelligent&hl=pt&lr=&ie=UTF-8&as_qdr=all&start=20&sa=N | |
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Subject:
Re: Functions of memory & time - relating to intelligence, philosophy & depression
From: apteryx-ga on 26 Jun 2002 01:03 PDT |
Hi, andy. Out of a lifelong fascination with the functions of memory, I have given a lot of thought to issues related to your question, although not specifically to a connection with depression. I have an intuitive sense that there is a vein of truth here and also something that is out of focus, but I don't have a clear fix on it yet. I think it may have to do with an impression that the phenomenon you describe in paragraph 2 is common in older people and is not necessarily associated with high intelligence or exceptional memory (and that those two are not necessarily associated with one another). Chronos and kairos...yes, those ideas actually provided me with an anchor while I was trying to misspend my youth. I would be inclined to look to the Buddhist notion of attachment (and hence loss or fear of loss) as the cause of sorrow if I were seeking a connection between memory and depression. But this is not to dispute your hypothesis, only to add a view. The book you are looking for might be either An Anthropologist on Mars or Island of the Color-Blind, both by Oliver Sacks. One of them has a chapter about a man who obsessively paints pictures of his home town in Italy, of which he remembers every detail. For research with an intelligent population, you might want to try sending a research proposal to Mensa, whose members have IQs in the top 2% and which has availability to legitimate researchers as one of its aims. There is an officer in charge of reviewing research proposals and/or working with prospective researchers to develop them. Go here: http://www.us.mensa.org and look for the Director of Science and Education in the list of officers, or send e-mail to the main office. |
Subject:
Re: Functions of memory & time - relating to intelligence, philosophy & depression
From: voila-ga on 26 Jun 2002 12:23 PDT |
Hi Andy, Tuste me, there's much interest in your juicy question but most researchers have full-time jobs that preclude us from the research time needed for this question. Promise, you'll have tons of comments, so please be patient with us. I hurriedly went through my bookmarked sites and found these that may be of help. http://www.epistemelinks.com http://www.technoetic.com/noosphere http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be more info to follow, V |
Subject:
Re: Excellent first experience with Google groups
From: andy_920-ga on 26 Jun 2002 14:50 PDT |
I want to communicate my sincere thanks to THX1138-ga for answering my question, and then so fairly suggesting that I reject the answer. I do intend to do so, but I hope this does not make our interaction seem like a waste of your time. I also want to apologize for the potential ambiguity of my original question and the excessive commitment of time it required. My request for clarification was certainly not intended to be harsh. I enjoyed the comments by APTERYX-ga, suggesting an examination of the Buddhist concept of attachment. Thanks also to VOILA-ga -- I will explore your links this evening and eagerly await further comments. Although my time spent online fluctuates week-to-week, I am eager to become part of the Google groups community, perhaps venturing outside the domain of my own research and exploring other people's questions. This is a brilliant concept introduced by Google -- thanks to all who have made it possible. |
Subject:
Re: Functions of memory & time - relating to intelligence, philosophy & depression
From: thx1138-ga on 26 Jun 2002 16:04 PDT |
Hi andy, Thanks for your kind comments and for the rating! As voila mentioned Iīm sure that there are going to be many comments to your question over time, many of which (Iīm sure) will be of great use to you. For an example of another question I originally answered that has 'grown' to quite a surprising extent in terms of explanations and further questions, have a look here: https://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=25883 I think the rejection of the answer I gave you will reflect on my 'performance ratings' but I have a good record so far and so it shouldnīt do any long term damage :) Donīt forget to use the 'search' facility at the bottom of questions to search for subjects that are of interest to you, and of course you could always become a Google researcher yourself: https://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=apply |
Subject:
Re: Functions of memory & time - relating to intelligence, philosophy & depression
From: voila-ga on 26 Jun 2002 21:04 PDT |
"Brains that Work a Little Bit Differently" by Allen Bradgon/David Gamon, Ph.D. along with its bibliography might be worth a look. You can also search this website for "time" and "memory." http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb If you're going to repost your question, I'll hold any more comments until then. Several researchers want to collaborate on this question over the weekend, but we'll have to break your query into smaller parts. Could you give us till week, Andy? search words: photographic memory adult eidetiker |
Subject:
Re: Functions of memory & time - relating to intelligence, philosophy & depression
From: voila-ga on 26 Jun 2002 21:38 PDT |
http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/PMJ/issue/4.2.01/adamowska.html search words: exceptional memory+time+mood okay, I'll stop now, V |
Subject:
Re: Functions of memory & time - relating to intelligence, philosophy & depression
From: texast-ga on 27 Jun 2002 01:04 PDT |
. Andy, to comment on a paragraph (+ fraction) you wrote: "My hypothesis is that certain people with exceptional memories may have difficulty interfacing with the ever-moving present moment as it becomes the past. They record, memorialize and dwell on the past, because it lives so vividly in their minds (they CAN'T stop remembering) and the passage of time becomes a source of depression for them. "These people may be plagued with such thoughts as 'All is fleeting, all is for naught, nothing exists for but a moment.'" I think the depression experienced by such people is not so much due to the passage of TIME being the source of depression - rather, it is the passing of REMEMBERANCE that does it. Someone who's used to remembering even the slightest thing gets to feeling very insecure and inadequate when the memory is no longer quite so sharp. It may still be light-years ahead of the general population, but it's not the same... things get forgotten. It's very unsettling. In fact, while the memory is sharp and all or most things are remembered, there's a feeling of permanence. Someone may have moved away or died, yet they're still as alive in the memory banks as when they were physically present as events were happening. People with normal memories don't have that permanence, since for them rememberance fades with time. This is why the depression - as the memory becomes less sharp, there is less permanence to the rememberance of people and events, a lesser ability to re-live the feelings experienced in the past. This is the point at which things get fleeting. You're right, that's part of the equation - but not for the reason you think. Tempus does fugit (if you'll pardon the mangling), but it flees when the memory fails, not before. Just a personal opinion. ;-) TexasT . |
Subject:
Re: Functions of memory & time - relating to intelligence, philosophy & depression
From: texast-ga on 27 Jun 2002 15:42 PDT |
. I just remembered something I read in a magazine some time ago, about a woman who had a strange loss of memory. It seems that every day she woke up pretty much in a "tabula rasa" state, with basically no memory of her past - not even of the previous day. I don't remember if this was due to an accident, illness, or if it just developed on its own. But the upshot of it was that every morning when she woke up, she had to be reminded of who she was, who her family was, and what she'd done in the past. I guess the short-term memory never got written to the long-term memory or something, and sleeping just wiped it out. Weird. Although she seemed to have developed a good attitude to cope with this, it was obvious it both frustrated her and depressed her. This might be a nice "other side of the coin" for you to look into... :) If you'd like, I could try and locate that article for you - just let me know. TexasT . |
Subject:
A few idle thoughts
From: ulu-ga on 08 Jul 2002 06:26 PDT |
No references here, just some comments (based on pop-psych/self-help). You can't remember everything at once so "memory", or should I say recall is selective. Memories are triggered by stimuli, but are filtered by a variety of factors, perhaps most importantly, emotions. If you are depressed, you are more likely to find memories to reinforce that emotion, creating a downward spiral. Also, memories do need to be "replaced". Imagine an athlete (i.e. skier) who had a fall. If you relive that moment over and over, you only strengthen that memory. You need to practice it many times over to get the mind (and the body) to do it right, surpressing the old memory. We all make mistakes in life, but if you focus on them (with a vivid memory), instead of replacing them (with new experiences), you're conditioning your brain to react the wrong way. There have been studies that show how visualizing can have as powerful an effect as doing. One more thought on memory and depression... "Ignorance is bliss." |
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