|
Physiological Memory
As we
discussed in
Reading With Your Child, a child's emotional memory includes both
positive and negative events. The snuggle-factor enhances learning. The
fear-factor hinders learning.
Physiological memory: In concert with
emotional memory is what we refer to as physiological memory. System-wide
conditioning can cause the body to respond to a person, circumstance, or
event in a pre-determined way.
For example, think about how a three-year-old child responds when the
parent returns from a day apart. Complete, un-abandoned joy. The child's
entire being responds. A broad range of neural connections and pathways
produce or reproduce positive experiences and associations. We could say,
then, that when the parent walks into the room, the neural synapses in the
child's brain come alive.
My tummy hurts: The same is also true for a
negative event. A child's recurring stomach ache (aside from a physical
disorder, food allergy, etc.) can often be the result of a physiological
memory. Think about an unpleasant event in your own life. As you consider
the occurrence, notice how your body responds. Is your pulse
increasing? Are the palms of your hands getting warm? Are you sweating? Do
you have a knot in your stomach? Is anger or frustration trying to
overtake you? Is depression looming close by? Your entire system is
responding.
Hold me: We all experience trials and
tribulations in life, and your child is no exception. When negative events
have passed, keep in mind that physiological responses may linger for a
time. This negative conditioning, or residue, can best be minimized by
generous amounts of closeness and peace. Holding the child, reassuring
with hugs and comfort, will strengthen the neural pathway to safety and
peace.
And according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, safety and peace are
essential elements that must be met before any learning can take place.
|