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The faculty of memory is the cause and storehouse of remembrance and
recollection. For memory is a fantasy s that is left behind of some
sensation and thought manifesting itself in action; or the preservation
of a sensation and thought. For the soul comprehends objects of sense
through the organs of sense, that is to say, it perceives, and thence
arises a notion: and similarly it comprehends the objects of thought
through the mind, and thence arises a thought. It is then the
preservation of the types of these notions and thoughts that is spoken
of as memory.
Further, it is worthy of remark that the apprehension of matters of
thought depends on learning, or natural process of thought, and not on
sensation. For though objects of sense are retained in the memory by
themselves, only such objects of thought are remembered as we have
learned, and we have no memory of their essence.
Recollection is the name given to the recovery of some memory lost by
forgetfulness. For forgetfulness is just loss of memory. The faculty
of imagination then, having apprehended material objects through the
senses, transmits this to the faculty of thought or reason (for they
are both the same), and this after it has received and passed judgment
on it, passes it on to the faculty of memory. Now the organ of memory
is the posterior ventricle of the brain, which the Greeks call the
paregkefalis, and the vital spirit it
contains.
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