The Nostalgia Factory: Memory, Time and Ageing

by Douwe Draaisma

With a storyteller’s gift and a scientist’s insights, Draaisma celebrates the unique pleasures of the aging memory

You cannot call to mind the name of a man you have known for 30 years. You walk into a room and forget what you came for. What is the name of that famous film you’ve watched so many times? These are common experiences, and as we grow older we tend to worry about these lapses. Is our memory failing? Is it dementia? Douwe Draaisma, a renowned memory specialist, here focuses on memory in later life. Writing with eloquence and humor, he explains neurological phenomena without becoming lost in specialist terminology. His book is reminiscent of Oliver Sacks’s work, and not coincidentally this volume includes a long interview with Sacks, who speaks of his own memory changes as he entered his sixties. Draaisma moves smoothly from anecdote to research and back, weaving stories and science into a compelling description of the terrain of memory. He brings to light the “reminiscence effect,” just one of the unexpected pleasures of an aging memory. The author writes reassuringly about forgetfulness and satisfyingly dismantles the stubborn myth that mental gymnastics can improve memory. He presents a convincing case in favor of the aging mind and urges us to value the nostalgia that survives as recollection, appreciate the intangible nature of past events, and take pleasure in the consolation of razor-sharp reminiscing.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Science, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Health

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2008

About the author

Douwe Draaisma is professor of the history of psychology at the University of Groningen and author of several best-selling books on topics relating to memory.

Reviews

[iva° · Rating 4 out of 5]

koristimo li zbilja tek 10% mozga?
kako funkcionira mozak dječaka nica kojem su uklonili 600 g mozga?
funkcioniraju li tehnike pamćenja?
pogoršava li se sposobnost pamćenja s dobi?
u čemu je razlika između staračke zaboravljivosti i demencije?
imaju li teškoće s pamćenjem veze s demencijom?
što je "kabinet za uspomene"?
kako fotografija iz prošlosti utječe na početnu demenciju?
zašto su nam neka sjećanja nepouzdana?
što je "nostalgie permanente"?
i, meni omiljeno: zašto, zapravo, postoje stari ljudi? koja je evolucijska korist od prisutnosti starih osoba?

čitaj i saznaj☺️

[Brian Clegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nostalgia Factory takes on the nature of memory, particularly the memory of those who are in their 60s and older – a subject that will affect most of us, one way or another.

Part way through I was going to award this book five stars, and part of the reason for this is the beautifully written translation by Liz Waters. It really was a delight to read. Douwe Draaisma takes us smoothly into the way memories change with time, how memories from youth start to surface more and become more important, and the fragile connection between memory and reality. Two parts particularly stick out to my mind (as far as my ageing memory goes) – a powerful assessment of brain training and the whole ‘use it or lose it’ thing, and some fascinating observations on the differences between the way that we see the world in our late teens/early twenties and the way we remember seeing things at that age when we are 30 to 40 years older.

The reason I’ve not gone for the whole five stars is that the book is very slow. It makes some points over and over again – it is almost as if the whole thing was a magazine article that has been extended to make a (slim) book. There simply isn’t enough in it. I also found the chapter consisting of an interview with Oliver Sacks excruciating. While Sacks is clearly a hero for Draaisma, pretty well all written interviews are boring, and this was no exception. The only thing I got out of it was seriously downgrading Sacks in my opinion because he is apparently so dependent on his psychoanalyst that he has to have sessions over the phone when not at home. That Sacks believes in this pseudo-science is worrying to say the least.

Despite the limitations, though, this is an eloquent and elegant little book with some genuinely interesting (and perhaps worrying for someone in their late 50s) observations about the way memory changes as we get older.

Review first published on www.popularscience.co.uk and reproduced with permission.

[Wiebe Buis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Douwe Draaisma is a great writer who presents psychological issues and topics in a very clear and elegant way. More important: in a humouristic way, with lots of quotes and references from literature. I like this guy and not only because he's of Frisian descent ;-).

[Saad Abdulmahmoud · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Heimweefabriek verkent Douwe Draaisma de fascinerende en raadselachtige aard van ons geheugen, vooral met ouder worden. Zoals hij scherp stelt: Wijsheid komt met de jaren. Maar vergeetachtigheid gaat haar voor. Deze uitspraak vat het conflict samen dat velen van ons voelen met het verstrijken van de jaren—dat we aan de ene kant wijsheid en ervaring vergaren, maar aan de andere kant worstelen met het verlies van heldere herinneringen.

Om dit verlies tegen te gaan, doen we vaak van alles om ons geheugen scherp te houden: Van braintraining tot het slikken van vitaminesupplementen. Draaisma stelt echter de vraag of dit allemaal wel echt nodig is, en of al die hersengymnastiek daadwerkelijk helpt. Hij onderzoekt de zin en onzin van geheugentraining en de illusie van een perfect geheugen. Wat blijkt, is dat geheugen nooit perfect is geweest en dat vergeetachtigheid, zelfs in zijn vele nadelen, ook een natuurlijk en soms zelfs waardevol aspect van ouder worden kan zijn.

Draaisma bespreekt ‘de markt van het grote vergeten’—een industrie die inspeelt op onze angsten voor geheugenverlies en veroudering. Terwijl bedrijven ons overladen met supplementen, apps en trainingen die de belofte van een scherp geheugen verkopen, zet Draaisma een stap terug en kijkt hij kritisch naar deze trends. Hij betoogt dat de ‘ongrijpbaarheid van de herinnering’ ons iets leert over wat echt belangrijk is: niet het exacte vasthouden van details, maar het emotionele en persoonlijke belang van herinneringen.

Tot slot wijst hij ook op ‘de onverwachte genoegens van een ouder wordend geheugen’. Vergetelheid, zo stelt Draaisma, kan soms bevrijdend werken. Het laat ons ruimte om opnieuw naar ervaringen te kijken, zonder de last van alles wat we ons herinneren. Een ouder geheugen herinterpreteert, vervaagt, en creëert op subtiele wijze nieuwe inzichten en perspectieven, iets wat uiteindelijk misschien meer waarde heeft dan het blind vastklampen aan alles wat we ooit wisten.

Heimweefabriek is een verhandeling over nostalgie of geheugenverlies; het is een uitnodiging om ons geheugen te waarderen zoals het is, met al zijn fouten, zwaktes en verrassende inzichten. Draaisma’s werk biedt een diep inzicht in hoe onze herinneringen ons vormen, en hoe een veranderend geheugen ons helpt om het leven vanuit een nieuw, vaak wijzer, perspectief te zien.

[Floor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bijzonder interessant en boeiend om verder over na te denken. Helaas ben ik waarschijnlijk te oud om het een bepalend boek te kunnen laten zijn, maar ik hoop me hier delen van te blijven herinneren. Qua structuur vond ik het wat warrig.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I loved the first part of this book.

What is memory? Quote from page viii: "...when you think back to your earliest memory a strange kind of contact is made in the neurological circuits that deal with remembering: the oldest memory becomes the newest for a moment; the first becomes the last."

Page xiii: "Much current research into the psychology of memory concerns the reliability of recollections...come to see an event or experience in a different light, so that it no longer means what it meant at the time...A sixty-year old was once twenty, whereas a twenty-year-old has no idea what it is like to be sixty.

Nice to know I'm not alone. From page 17: "A memory problem that older people mention...frequently is being unable to find the right word...they...resort to 'whatsit' and 'thingummy'...older people should not let themselves be talked out of the idea that just because they cannot instantly come up with the linguistic term for a word...they nevertheless know more than someone who has never heard of...'Oh yes knowledge' is knowledge too.

Page 19: "The problem with names is that they have no inherent meaning...absence of associations means there are no other routes that lead to the name...Relax...accept that there is no reason at all to be ashamed of forgetting names; it is a common ailment."

Page 49: "'THE PALEST INK IS MORE RELIABLE THAN THE MOST POWERFUL MEMORY.'"

"Much of what is on offer under the heading 'improve your memory' comes down to learning tricks for coping with the effects of decline. Anyone who thinks that such tricks...can actually give them a better memory probably also thinks they would be able to walk better if they used a walking frame.

The mantra 'use it or lose it' is true only in its most restricted sense. There is a convincing amount of research to show that the memory will decline if no longer stimulated. The best way to prevent this is to remain active...The good news is that social activities are sufficient. They involve all the variety and challenges needed to keep the memory up to scratch."

Page 52: "There is much reassurance to be derived from insight into the differences between dementia and the forgetfulness of old age. The latter falls within the limits of what is natural and normal, and practically all elderly people suffer from it to some extent. Dementia is a disease. Forgetfulness is annoying and troublesome but does not turn you into an invalid, whereas dementia does...dementia also affects the capacity to do everyday things: to get dressed, to make coffee or to drive a car."

Page 123: "Writing about W.H. as a school chum...Grass cannot ignore what he now knows about the course of W's life then and later...memories...are both charged and illuminated by what followed, and this has turned them into different memories. They are no longer available in their original form.

Do we underestimate the extent to which memories change and vanish? It seems probable that we do."

[Sesamelife · Rating 4 out of 5]

「在回想某件事情時，你的腦神經等於開啓了一個新的路徑，下一次你仍會記得相同的記憶，實際上代表的是這條最新的路徑已經變得活絡。即使是最古早的記憶，也會和你的腦部組織一同進行『時間之旅』，並加入越來越多新的印象。根據這個理論，當你回想你最早的記憶，負責處理記憶的神經迴路便會發生了一種奇妙的接觸：最古老的記憶瞬間變成最新的，第一個記憶則成了最晚到的記憶。」

「奇怪的是，當我們的記憶功能開始衰退時，年齡懷舊效應卻逐漸增強。懷舊這個強大的新元素開始浮現之時，正好是回想過往的能力衰退程度已經到了可明顯感測的時候。老一輩的人開始發現自己不容易記住原本打算要做的事，找出需要的適當字眼變得困難，尤其是老記不住人們的名字。靠默記學習和即時確認事物對老人家來說越來越不容易。問題是：這些問題是怎麼出現的，有沒有辦法可以解決？有沒有什麼方法可以訓練記憶？健忘是否就是年老的一部分？」

「我們不得不開始相信，『成功地』變老需要靠花費精神、訓練、保養、還有花錢，因為達到這個目標的每個需求，都有一個供應的價格。就和人們再也無須無奈地接受聽力或視力惡化一樣，再也沒有人需要智力的衰退或記憶的減弱。」

「如果某個東西消失了，其他的東西會如魔術般將那個空位閉合，一切仍如原來一般完整。你透過聯想在記憶中巡遊穿梭，因為這就是記憶運作的方式，而聯想是連接還在那裡的東西；它們從來無法引導你到虛空之境，因為虛空已無法再與任何東西連結。把記憶力衰退或損害比喻成某種間隙、斷裂、缺口，反映的是局外人的看法。從當局者的眼中看來，記憶始終是完整的。」

「了解失智症與老年人健忘之間的差異，可以對化解憂慮帶來一些幫助。老年的健忘是天生自然的事，而且實際上所有的老年人都或多或少為此所苦。失智症是一種疾病。健忘令人不快而且麻煩，但並不會讓你因此成為殘疾之人；相對的，失智症會。健忘是對記憶的一種侷限，失智症則會影響到處理日常生活的能力，譬如穿戴衣服、泡咖啡或開車。受失智症所苦的人可能會看著時鐘卻發現自己讀不出現在是幾點鐘，也可能站在廚房、手裡拿著開罐卻想不起來開罐器要如何使用。」

「懷舊是個三重的謎，它們回歸的時刻也是其他記憶的能力正在衰退的時刻。它們並不是原本完好的機能退化的結果，而是真正嶄新的事物，也因此溫柔地讓拋物線模式得到全新的關注；此外，同樣令人迷惑的是，真正能夠抵抗遺忘的似乎正是早期的記憶。最值得注意的或許是，這讓我們理解到隨著懷舊效應全面發揮威力，過去你長期回憶又重回腦海。這些是真正所謂沉睡的記憶，每個細節都被記存下來，但是卻長期被禁制讀取。」

/

書內共有八章：〈一〉最長的生命階段：記憶與遺忘的試煉、〈二〉健忘：記憶為什麼空了、〈三〉失智、健忘與憂鬱：心理學家的嘆息、〈四〉懷舊效應之謎：年輕時的回憶為何總是那麼美好、〈五〉召喚記憶的歡愉：越老越愛回憶過往、〈六〉做個好兒子：與奧立佛．薩克斯的對談、〈七〉對記憶的後見之明：回憶會隨著生命歷程而改變、〈八〉記憶撩撥的鄉愁：家鄉的陌生人。作為一名歐洲知心的心理學家，他曾在記憶研究上的成就聞名，整理及分析懷舊的記憶、逝去的時間、老去所帶來對記憶的影響力，並以不同的案例解釋腦神經科學的現象。

此書的確是需要花點精神消化當中所提及的現象，本身沒有對腦神經科學有興趣的我，近日被「記憶」這個詞彙莫名地吸引，它來自於一位朋友的故事，經歷過一次的中風，其後令他失去了一部分的記憶，此事讓他對失去記憶有種恐懼，甚至是一種打擊，促使他鑽研腦神經科學。然後於早前也觀看了《永恆的記憶》電影，再次對阿茲海默症的徵兆有種好奇，加上剛好在圖書館中遇見這一本書，像是不經意地打開了多個關於記憶的潘朵拉的盒子。雖然書中的討論主要是針對懷舊的記憶、老年的健忘與失智症，但偶爾會提及一些基礎的腦神經科學，有時候好奇到底忘記是一個怎麼樣的過程，甚至作為照顧者或是被照顧者是該如何面對等，是極具討論性的話題。

若是要深入研究，的確不能只讀此書，它所涵蓋的範圍不足以了解記憶在大腦裡的所有運作，但至少能從作者所引述的文字、案例一一了解最基本的腦神經科學。鑽研腦神經科學本來就不容易，除非對此滿有好奇心，才會多花點時間研究相關的知識。我們不像機械人，可以隨時更換腦海裡的記憶儲存空間，更可以擴大內存空間，我們的記憶很神秘，只會存在於各人的肉體裡，只要靈魂離開肉體，無人能夠將死人的記憶打開，剩下的記憶隨靈魂飄走，不再寄居於肉體之上。

或許能守著一些重要的記憶，對我們來說已經很棒了，不是嗎？

[Ufuk Beyazova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sıla Hasreti Fabrikası/Douwe Draaisma
 
''Yaşlı olduğu insanın yüzüne
 söylenmez. Yaşlı olan başkalarıdır, bizimle aynı yaşta olsalar bile''.
Bir psikolog olan yazar bellek yaşlılıkta nasıl işler sorusunun yanıtını arıyor. İnsanlar yaşlandıkça çocukluk ve gençlikte yaşadıklarını daha net hatırlamaya başlıyorlar. Çoğu yazar özyaşam öykülerini 60 yaşından sonra kaleme alıyor. Anılar niye ille de bellek yaşlanınca gösteriyorlar kendilerini? Bu eski anıları geri getiren aslında nedir? Bu dönüş ne zaman başlar? Üzücü anılar da güzel anılar kadar kolay hatırlanılır mı? Kişinin erken dönemde yaşadığı şeyi iyi hatırlaması biyolojik olgunluk meselesi midir? Yoksa yaşamın ilk yıllarında daha mı çok hatırlanmaya değer olay yaşanır? Hayatın geç dönemine ait anılar bunca az olduğu için mi erken döneme ait anılar bu kadar çoktur? Hatırlama bir kez ortaya çıkınca yaşın ilerlemesiyle birlikte daha da güçlenir mi? Unutkanlık yaşlılığın bir parçası mıdır? Bellek antremanı yapılabilir mi? Yazar bu sorulara yanıt vermeye çalışıyor. Yaşlılıkta bellek hakkında bilimsel ve nitelikli bir kitap.

[Robert Wechsler · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, the best thing about this book is how easy it is to skim, which is not intended as a backhanded compliment. It’s just that much in this book didn’t interest me, and some of it did. The book’s skimmability allowed me to pick and choose; poorly organized books would have prevented this.

Also, it was interesting to read a nonfiction book whose examples came large from the Netherlands. Too few books like this are translated into English.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

怀旧制造厂
知道这本书纯属偶然，之前逛书店看到作者另一本书时间的慰藉，看了一点不错，可惜只有繁体版太贵没买，然后我搜索这个作家，发现原来国内出版过他的书，并且滞销了，买到手里也是二手书八九成新。
这本可买可不买吧，我还买了他另外两本书有时间再看。喜欢那些让人对变老记忆有关话题增长新认识的结论。
1.30
在研究阅读与记忆实验表明，对人有影响力的书籍一般都是20岁左右读的，之后阅读习惯改变开始寻找符合自己想法的书籍。 这是人的成长记忆能力曲线决定的。所以？？？？我以后怪不得读的书都会感觉平平，难以沉浸其中让人惊艳。 ​
2.8
人到了六十岁左右的时候，对童年的记忆会突然变得清晰。一种生理现象。
一般百岁老人，对八十岁之后的二十年很少有什么记忆，所以人老了都是活在回忆里吧，以及对抗日常健康问题的琐碎，活的后面时间好像没什么意义。 ​

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

V interesting book written is sort of a storytelling way, about memories and how they change with age. And in 1688 the Swiss Dr J Hofer chose a Swiss dialect word, Heimweh (homesickness), to describe the illness associated with symptoms of loss of appetite, loss of weight, poor sleep, etc. He also derived the word 'nostalgia' from nostos (homecoming) and algia (pain). Who new?

[Andy Plonka · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the information contained in this small book is interesting, it doesn't make me happy to be getting older, and I think there are things that can be done to enhance one's memory skills as one ages like use your brain and dust off some of those older neural pathways.

[Ione DeOllos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The topic of memory is considered through the glasses of aging. It is a fascinating look I to an area not commonly researched but important nonetheless. It is written so well that you do not need to have studied psychology to understand the message.

[Michael Nee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting insights

A light overview of memory. I would like to see a little more insight into the physiology and neurology behind memory. A discussion of false memories would have been interesting.

[Ian Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough but not great.

[Hugo Van Zoest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Onderhoudend al belooft de schrijver altijd meer dan hij kan waarmaken

[Delphine Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned some new information from this book but overall, it disappointed me. I expected to learn more than I did. It seemed as though just as the book really got going it ended.

[Doğukan Kuşlar · Rating 4 out of 5]

çok ilginç ve çok hüzünlendirici bir kitab.

[Dymphie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Een soort vervolg op zijn andere boek uit 2002 – ‘Waarom het leven sneller gaat als je ouder wordt’. Dat vond ik ook erg goed, de Heimweefabriek gaat vooral over het reminiscentie-effect: dat je je na je 55 steeds meer en scherper van je jonge jaren gaat herinneren. Wel interessant gegeven, maar op een gegeven moment weet je het wel ;-)

[Caat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik vond 'm nogal vlak en saai. Had er meer van verwacht.

[Lijadora del Prado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three interesting topics. The exposition of the first one (the reminiscence effect) got quite repetitive though.