First let us return to the topic of thinking processes. We will talk about a number of these ways briefly and then look into focused attention more deeply. Each form of thought supports each other one, but the act of focusing attention is central to the topic of mental tools. Recollection occurs when the brain retrieves a memory from its stores. The recollection is a stored memory, a set of synapses that are retained over time because of repetition, or because of the intensity of the experience.
Patterns are a part of right-brain, holistic thinking.
There are strengths and weaknesses to this. Recognition is immediate, as there is no need to map the sensory information into words. The structure of the brain permits partial patterns to be matched easily. On the other hand, patterns tend to settle into place and not change. Over time this leads to automatic responses, which is dangerous if new data changes the pattern into something different.