From: csscudmo@atlas.cs.upei.ca (Scott Cudmore)
Subject: The Mind: A Model (Part 2)
Followup-To: The Mind: A Model (Part 1) naturally...
Originator: csscudmo@atlas.cs.upei.ca
Organization: University of Prince Edward Island
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 00:11:37 GMT

Memory

In the following discussion I make no assumptions about the internal
workings of human memory. For our purposes here, memory could work
through changes in the chemical, structural, electrical or for that
matter quantum gravitational state of the brain and/or body. It
doesn't matter. What does matter is the fact that we all to lesser or
greater degree store and retrieve data and information (information
being processed data).

A little introspection will allow us to categorize memory by duration.
We all seem to have a supply of what I will term _working_ memory.
Please forgive my atrocious and totally obnoxious computer-lingo bias!
It is of short duration and is the day to day stuff of rememberance.
You utilize working memory when you answer the question: for what did
I ask forgiveness? We also appear to have a memory capable of
retrieval over a longer durational continuum. It appears to be geared
to event and action experience, for example, what did you have for
breakfast one day ago? two days ago? one week ago? one month ago? As
the duration of time increases we find it harder to answer the
question through rememberance (unless like myself, you never eat
breakfast! or, you always eat exactly the same thing for breakfast). I
will call this type of memory _noncommitted_ memory. Finally, we seem
to possess a vast store of what I will call _habituated_ memory. For
example, what is your name? your date of birth? recite the
multiplication table from 1 through 9, etc. It contains all the facts
and figures, the concepts, the cognitive clues, the language, the
mathematics, the methods, _the ways of thinking_, the algorithms (ach,
there I go again!) which our experience of existence has proven or
assumed useful. It's funny what you remember, huh?

Here's my proposed model for how this stuff actually works (from a
functional data flow perspective):

[Sensory Process]
       |
       |
       |input
[Working Memory]<------>[Noncommitted Memory]
  /|\        /|\                |
   |          |                 |
   |          |                \|/
   |	      +------->	[Habituated Memory] 
   |
   |
   |
[Control Process]
   |
   |
   |
   |
[Consciousness]     

A memory, once remembered, resides in working memory. Of all three
memories it is the only one of which we are conscious. Why can we only
remember a few items at a time? We is our ordinary mode of thought sequential?
Because we remember and think out of working memory. A control process
allows us to scan, store and retrieve data and information between the
three memories with one exception. I could not think of a case where a
habituated memory becomes noncommitted. Any suggestions?

The next posts will get to the crux of the matter and discuss
consciousness, the self, and how the sensory process, the memory
processes, and consciousness interact to define experience.


Till then...

Scott 
-- 
Scott Cudmore   csscudmo@atlas.cs.upei.ca
Question: How many Canadians does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer:   Canadians don't change light bulbs, we accept them for what they
          are. 
Newsgroups: alt.consciousness