MEMORIES WILL FADE AS YOU AGE, UNTIL ONLY THE BASIC GIST REMAINS

Although some people say they can still remember things that happened decades ago with perfect clarity, a new study finds that’s not how the brain typically works. Researchers (Universities of Glasgow and Birmingham) have discovered that as more time passes, only the most meaningful elements of those experiences stick in our minds.

Researchers say it’s natural for a person’s memories to become less vibrant over time. At a certain point, only the main gist of a past event eventually remains. In fact, frequently thinking about recent experiences actually boosts what the scientists call the “gistification†of our memories.

Researchers explain that memories are not carbon copies of a person’s past experiences. Instead, experts believe the task of remembering something is a very reconstructive process and the details could even change slightly every time that person brings it back to mind.
Study authors add that the findings show human memory is biased towards retaining meaningful content above all else. Previous studies have discovered that brain signals also show this pattern.