Self Analysis 1951 List 5: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 14:56, 1 February 2026

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List 5

Assists to Remembering

“Remember” is derived, of course, directly from action in the physical universe. How would a deaf mute teach a child to remember? It would be necessary for him to keep forcing objects or actions on the child when the child left them alone or omitted them. Although parents are not deaf mutes, children do not understand languages at very early ages, and as a consequence learn to “remember” by having their attention first called toward actions and objects, spaces and time. It violates the self-determinism of the individual, and therefore his ability to handle himself, to have things forced upon him without his agreement. This could be said to account, in part, for some of the “poor memories” about which people brag or complain.

Because one learns language at the level of the physical universe and action within it, he could be said to do with his thoughts what he has been compelled to do with the matter, energy, space and time in his environment. Thus, if these have been forced upon him and he did not want them, after a while he will begin to reject the thoughts concerning these objects, but if these objects, spaces, times and actions are forced upon him consistently enough he will at length go into an apathy about them. He will not want them very much but he thinks he has to accept them. Later on, in school, his whole livelihood seems to depend on whether or not he can remember the “knowledge” which is forced upon him.

The physical universe level of remembering then, is retaining matter, energy, space and time. To improve the memory, it is only necessary to rehabilitate the individual’ s choice of acceptance of the material universe.

In answering these questions, particular attention should be paid to the happier incidents. Inevitably many unhappy incidents will flick through, but where selection is possible happy or analytical incidents should be stressed. This list does not pertain to asking you to remember times when you remembered. It pertains to acquiring things which you wanted to acquire.

Sight, Smell, Touch, Color, Tone, External Motion, Emotion, Loudness. Body Position, Sound, Weight. Personal Motion

Can you remember a time when:

You acquired something you wanted.
You threw away something you didn’t want.
You abandoned something you knew you were supposed to have.
You did something else with the time which was otherwise appointed for you.
You went into a space you were not supposed to occupy.
You left the place you were supposed to be.
You were happy to have acquired something.
You happily defied directions you had been given.
You were sent to one place and chose to go to another.
You chose your own clothing.
You wore something in spite of what people would think.
You got rid of something which bored you.
You were glad to have choice over one of two objects.
You didn’t drink any more than you wanted to.
You successfully refused to eat.
You did what you pleased with yourself.
You did what you pleased with a smaller person.
You were right not to have accepted something.
You gave away a present you had received.
You destroyed an object somebody forced upon you.
You had something you wanted and maintained it well.
You maliciously scuffed your shoes.
You didn’t read the book you had been given.
You refused to be owned.
You changed somebody’s orders.
You slept where you pleased.
You refused to bathe.
You spoiled some clothing and were cheerful about it.
You got what you wanted.
You got back something you had lost.
You got the person you wanted.
You refused a partner.
You threw the blanket off the bed.
You had your own way.
You found you had been right in refusing it.

Sight, Smell, Touch, Color, Tone, External Motion, Emotion, Loudness. Body Position, Sound, Weight. Personal Motion

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 == List 5 ==
-Relative Sizes
-The recognition of one’s size in relationship to the scene in which he finds himself and the objects and organisms of that scene is, in itself, a sense message. It is particularly trying on children, and undoubtedly was on you when you were a child, to be surrounded with objects which are so large. When one is actually getting a good recall on a childhood incident he is quite often startled to see how big things appeared to him and how large were those giants, the adults, with which he was surrounded. The feeling of being small in the vicinity of large objects sometimes produces the feeling of inadequacy. It is even said that people who are smaller than the average feel less secure in their environment. This evidently stems from the fact that their grown up size has not reached the average and thus the feeling of smallness and inadequacy during childhood is in constant restimulation. It is not because the person, though smaller, is really inadequate. In such a way people who are taller than the average become aware of the fact, mostly because people smaller than themselves find ways and means of nullifying them because of their size. The perception of relative size is therefore an important perception to rehabilitate and a person who is larger than others on the average would do well to change the reading disc with which he is working these questions so that the word “loudness” on the disc is marked out and “relative size” is substituted.
+=== Assists to Remembering ===
+“Remember” is derived, of course, directly from action in the physical universe. How would a deaf mute teach a child to remember? It would be necessary for him to keep forcing objects or actions on the child when the child left them alone or omitted them. Although parents are not deaf mutes, children do not understand languages at very early ages, and as a consequence learn to “remember” by having their attention first called toward actions and objects, spaces and time. It violates the self-determinism of the individual, and therefore his ability to handle himself, to have things forced upon him without his agreement. This could be said to account, in part, for some of the “poor memories” about which people brag or complain.
+Because one learns language at the level of the physical universe and action within it, he could be said to do with his thoughts what he has been compelled to do with the matter, energy, space and time in his environment. Thus, if these have been forced upon him and he did not want them, after a while he will begin to reject the thoughts concerning these objects, but if these objects, spaces, times and actions are forced upon him consistently enough he will at length go into an apathy about them. He will not want them very much but he thinks he has to accept them. Later on, in school, his whole livelihood seems to depend on whether or not he can remember the “knowledge” which is forced upon him.
+The physical universe level of remembering then, is retaining matter, energy, space and time. To improve the memory, it is only necessary to rehabilitate the individual’ s choice of acceptance of the material universe.
+In answering these questions, particular attention should be paid to the happier incidents. Inevitably many unhappy incidents will flick through, but where selection is possible happy or analytical incidents should be stressed. This list does not pertain to asking you to remember times when you remembered. It pertains to acquiring things which you wanted to acquire.
 '''''Sight, Smell, Touch, Color, Tone, External Motion, Emotion, Loudness. Body Position, Sound, Weight. Personal Motion'''''
-''Can you recall a time when:''
+''Can you remember a time when:''
-# You were bigger than an animal.
+# You acquired something you wanted.
-# You were smaller than an object.
+# You threw away something you didn’t want.
-# You were bigger than a person.
+# You abandoned something you knew you were supposed to have.
-# You were smaller than a person.
+# You did something else with the time which was otherwise appointed for you.
-# Things looked little to you.
+# You went into a space you were not supposed to occupy.
-# Things looked big to you.
+# You left the place you were supposed to be.
-# You were in a vast space.
+# You were happy to have acquired something.
-# You looked at the stars.
+# You happily defied directions you had been given.
-# You were dwarfed by an object.
+# You were sent to one place and chose to go to another.
-# You saw a giant.
+# You chose your own clothing.
-# You scared somebody.
+# You wore something in spite of what people would think.
-# Somebody waited on you.
+# You got rid of something which bored you.
-# You chased somebody.
+# You were glad to have choice over one of two objects.
-# You licked a larger boy.
+# You didn’t drink any more than you wanted to.
-# Furniture was too small for you.
+# You successfully refused to eat.
-# A bed was too small for you.
+# You did what you pleased with yourself.
-# A bed was too big for you.
+# You did what you pleased with a smaller person.
-# A hat didn’t fit.
+# You were right not to have accepted something.
-# You had to be polite.
+# You gave away a present you had received.
-# You bullied somebody.
+# You destroyed an object somebody forced upon you.
-# Your clothes were too large.
+# You had something you wanted and maintained it well.
-# Your clothes were too small.
+# You maliciously scuffed your shoes.
-# The vehicle was too large.
+# You didn’t read the book you had been given.
-# The vehicle was too small.
+# You refused to be owned.
-# A space was too big.
+# You changed somebody’s orders.
-# A table was too big.
+# You slept where you pleased.
-# Your arm was too big.
+# You refused to bathe.
-# A cook was small.
+# You spoiled some clothing and were cheerful about it.
-# You could reach something above you.
+# You got what you wanted.
-# A ball was too small.
+# You got back something you had lost.
-# A daughter was smaller.
+# You got the person you wanted.
-# A desk was too small.
+# You refused a partner.
-# A big fork.
+# You threw the blanket off the bed.
-# A small kettle.
+# You had your own way.
-# A small fish.
+# You found you had been right in refusing it.
-# A little flower.
-# A small doctor.
-# A tiny dog.
-# A small man.
-# A little child.
-# A small cat.
-# A little house.
-# A small machine.
-# Short legs.
-# A small face.
-# A small place.
 '''''Sight, Smell, Touch, Color, Tone, External Motion, Emotion, Loudness. Body Position, Sound, Weight. Personal Motion'''''