Memories and emotions are mutually connected. Undergoing a traumatic moment may create a long-lasting impression on a person’s feelings and notion. Current strong emotions disfigure memories. For example home sickness causes attractive and constructive memories about home. Over twenty years ago, Clive, a bright musician suffered severe brain disease, herpes encephalitis that made him lose his memory. In the movie, the discussion between Mr. Clive Wearing and the Deborah her wife reveals that Mr. Clive has a problem of remembering some things he knew in the past. For example he finds it difficult to recall the name of one of his sons. Very often when Deborah visits him and asks him if he can recall anyone who came before, he says nothing and instead talks about the future(Wellcome Collection, 2007).
Emotions may have unpleasant effects on the memory performance because the emotions literally affect how the memory acquires information and determines what kind of information can be acquired. Psychologists have identified human interest as a fundamental human emotion required for one to acquire information from the environment. Other emotions such as sorrow, joy or fear when felt in different levels of intensities, may have a great impact on one’s memory patterns and behaviors. It is noteworthy to notice how Clive keeps greeting her wife as if they haven’t met for a long time. The feeling of love toward her appears so strong, revealing that emotions can remain strong even with little memories of the past. They are so emotionally attached despite the prevailing conditions. Clive is concerned about the present alone. The past has no effect on his present reactions because he does not remember anything at all. Life encounters causes and establishes memories which generate certain emotions. Clive, since he cannot recall the past, his present encounters are always considered new events and there is no continuation from the past (Wellcome Collection, 2007).
Reference
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road (2007) Video: Man without memory. Web.