Our fraternity is replete with demands for portions of our ritual to be "recited from memory."  And, as we become increasingly involved within our Lodge, we are called upon to take on the challenges of memorizing increasingly larger portions of ritual.  Such is the nature of our Institution.

However, we recognize that through the years, committing to memory and then reciting becomes increasingly difficult.  But, can it still be done as we get a little older?

Therefore. I thought I would peruse my son's college textbook on Psychology (Exploring Psychology) and see what it had to say about "the latest in scientific" commentary and explanation on this subject.  So, by extracting key portions from it, I came up with the following "explanations" on how the brain works, the effects of "aging" on the brain, and some helpful "memorizing techniques."

"Human memory is in some ways like a computer information-processing system.  To remember any event requires that we get information into our brain (encoding), retain that information (storage), and later get it back out (retrieval).

"Consider how a computer encodes, stores, and retrieves information.  First it translates input (keystrokes) into electronic language, much as the brain encodes sensory information into a neural language.  The computer stores vast amounts of information onto a disk.  From this information storehouse it can retrieve a file or document into working memory, which also can receive new information from the keyboard.  Part of this working memory is visible on the screen.

"Similar to a computer, we store vast amounts of information in long-term memory.  Our memories are, however, less literal and more fragile than a computer's.  From our memory storehouse we can retrieve information into an active working memory, part of which is displayed on our mental screen of short-term memory.

"Early adulthood is the peak time for some types of learning and remembering.  The ability to recall new information declines during early and middle adulthood, but the ability to recognize new information does not.

"Retrieval problems lie behind the occasional memory failures of older adults.  Older people tend to recall less than younger adults do, but they usually remember as well as younger people when given reminders.

"Crystallized intelligence, one's accumulated knowledge and verbal skills, increases with age.  Fluid intelligence, one's ability to reason speedily and abstractly, tends to decrease with age.  Poets (who depend on fluid intelligence) reach their peak output earlier than prose authors (who need a deeper knowledge reservoir).  To be growing older is, in some ways, to be still growing.

"We process information in three key ways - by encoding its meaning, by visualizing it (encoding imagery), and by mentally organizing it.  To some extent we do these things automatically.  But in each case they are effortful strategies for enhancing memory.

"Meaning and imagery enhance memory in part by helping us organize information.  When we organize information into meaningful units (chunking), such as letters, words, and phrases, we recall it more easily.

"Mnemonics are those techniques and memory aids that assist in helping to remember lengthy passages and speeches.  They include the use of vivid imagery and organizational devices.  (For example, the first letters of key words, key words and phrases themselves, etc.)

"Rehearsal is the conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage.  We also retain information better when rehearsal is distributed over time, a phenomenon called spacing effect.  Effortful processing is encoding that requires attention and conscious effort.

"Make the material personally meaningful.  Build a network of retrieval cues; mindlessly repeating information is relatively   ineffective.  Better to form images, understand and organize information, relate the material to what you already know or have experienced."

In conclusion, I know that my ability to memorize is not what it once was, but I do find some solace in understanding why the aging memory works the way it does.  Hopefully you too will find this bit of collegiate information as useful and comforting as I did.