Memorization changes your thoughts.

A couple of days ago, I wrote about how to change the way you think. I touched on the idea that how we think is the most upstream part of our thought process; what we think, how we react, and what we do are all downstream effects.

There are hooks and outlets along the lower parts of the stream, such as CBT techniques we can use to challenge what we think. But I emphasize that those are downstream effects; the thought and likely the accompanying emotions have already initialized and will go through their lifecycle. Once something has upset us, we're upset. It takes time to regulate again. Rather than finding ways to regulate after upset, I am more curious about how to prevent upset by changing patterns more upstream. Treat the roots, not the branches; treat the illness, not the symptoms.

I have been reading Higbee's book "How the Memory Works" to learn how to more effectively memorize and instill information. The book has affirmed things I've done naturally to memorize and also inspired me to consider other ways I can continue to fortify my retention of information into long-term memory. I've had a somewhat recent revelation of conviction where I told myself I never want to forget anything ever again -- any relevant, useful information anyways.

Higbee notes that he's used mnemonic (memory aid) devices to help him memorize over 500 scriptures from the Bible. Impressive. It reminded me of Muslim scholars who memorize the whole of the Quran, who can recite verse after verse and both reference and cite passages in discourse. Moreover, I imagine what that amount of memorization does to how we think. If a social media post or exposure event to a product, place, or person stimulates us to think about that -- and maybe even persuades us to purchase something or take some sort of action -- how much more does memorizing information get into the depth of our psyche?

I am particular about my exposure to social media and information diet. It's a bit of a double-edged sword -- limiting my social media diet tends to keep me happier, but my low to no participation on social media limits my musical exposure and broadcasting as an artist. Regardless, I do notice that the less I am on social media, the less prone I am to feeling bad about myself or having negative thoughts, particularly those of comparison or FOMO. The whole platform is designed around and powered by advertisements asserting that our current state is not enough, can be improved, etc., and aims to market us enough discomfort to inspire us into an action that serves the advertiser (namely a purchase or submission into a sales or marketing funnel). With that as the backbone, fortified by some of the smartest and highest-paid minds in tech and marketing, there's a high likelihood of bad feelings.

Aside from social media abstinence, a negative action by virtue of removing something, what are positive or additive things we can do to inform or empower our thinking to be more like what we want? What are healthier sources of information, media, or literary consumption that empower us to draw from the sources within us rather than grasp for the external? What are information streams that have little to no financial incentive to convert you into a sales funnel but instead are founded in philosophical or altruistic values to serve their consumers?

What is the regimen of consuming information that can help us change the way we think? Perhaps it's not only external but internal as well, an attuning to the messages within us through silent meditation, observation, and awareness of our own sensations and thoughts. There are messages there that can guide us, that can inform us, that can be their own stream of information that, when listened to, can change the way we think.

Maybe you can relate. You might have thoughts or reactions you're not a fan of, that cause you distress, frustration, or distraction. You catch yourself thinking, "Why am I thinking about this?" What do you think you can do to change what thoughts come up for you? What would you change about your information diet?