Strike a pose to remember

The works of memory fascinate me.  I’ve already talked about how smells, associations,  images, sounds, and emotions can bring memories back.  Now I can add body postures to the list.  Cognitive Daily describes a new study suggesting that “just holding your body in the right position means you'll have faster, more accurate access to certain memories.”  The subjects were able to remember certain events in their lives faster when they assumed the same positions that their bodies were in when those memories occurred. 

I personally don’t like to sit still for a long period of time.  Now I have a legitimate excuse to move around.  So, next time you need to learn res ipsa loquitur, stand on your head, imagine an ER unit, and reinforce the image with a smell of ether and the sound of ambulance.  Later, when you need to recall the "scalpel left behind," just assume the head-stand position again.