Association

Association is truly how we begin to "hang-on" to thoughts. May I ask you a question? I am no "Kreskin" I am not sure I even spelled his name correctly? Here we go...

When I say the word "thunderbird" what comes to your mind? Did your eyes shift slightly up to the right? Did you envision some model-type of the Ford Thunderbird? I thought of a 1960 powder-blue convertible T-Bird. I never owned one; I wasn't driving in 1960; come to think about it I was barely walking... You probably thought of a different model. Maybe you thought of a Native American symbol somewhat like what you find on totem poles? Perhaps you reflected visually on the air force squadron Thunderbirds -those acrobatic aces. Was it that older TV show created by using puppets? I don't think you "saw" what I thought of; the Thornhill Thunderbirds OMHA and Junior B hockey teams.

However, you did envison something and you did it automtically without thinking! What a revelation indeed. Think about it, as soon as you hear or see a word or words, in your mind's eye you have a visual of it. THis is how you begin to internalize new information and you do it without thinking! It is a "reflex" action! Information already in your "wrinkled walnut" is significant for "hanging" onto new stuff.

The other day I asked my college students to come up with a word (they were beginning to "turn off"). The first response was "Scottish" I have no earthly idea why the student responded with this word. It doesn't matter for now, anyways. However, the primary association was "kilt" (19 responses). The next most frequent was terrier (6 or 7 responses). The next one was Highland Games (4 or 5).

Better still think of someone; whatever, pops into your brain immediately is what you really, really think of them; it will be visual (at least this week). So before you propose or accept his proposal think/contemplate about it. Now, on the other hand, if you cannot associate with what you hear or see then it will be significantly difficult to remember that word or phrase. It is similar to listening to a foreign language that you have never been exposed to. I recall what my dad use to say to me on occasion; 'John, with you it goes in one ear and out the other"...That is probably what would happen if I said to you; "thats gach" or "la fin"