A new computer performs very well but half a year into usage, the performance dips. You double click a file and it takes a few seconds before it opens up in the associated application. As your computer gets older, you invariably add a lot of programs and files to the hard drive. Windows comes pre-installed with a disk defragmenting utility. It is a tool that takes the non-contiguous blocks of data and condenses them into contiguous blocks. So a file, instead of being stored as fragments of data, obtains a continuous array of zeros and ones on the hard drive. Thereby improving the machine’s performance.
Our minds work quite in the same way. Memories get stored in the grey cells. The neurons connect with one another leading to memory recall. Over a period of time, zillions of connections develop and it becomes increasingly difficult for the brain to make new connections, or access the old ones from among this messy mesh. As children, when we listened to a song, we would automatically memorize the lyrics. When a TV commercial started, we could instantly relate the first visual with the brand being advertised. As we grow, we are unable to have our minds perform in a similar way. So much so, we routinely forget where we kept the car keys.
Mind defrag utility
One of the most effective tools available to defragment our fragmented memories is meditation. It clears up the mind and allows the neurons to reconnect more efficiently. Like I read somewhere, “You must meditate for twenty minutes every day. Unless you just don’t have the time. In which case you should do it for sixty minutes.”