#memory work

[northernpsalm]

[ruinfolk]

"A History of Women: Vol. II."

The inheritance of suppression, silence as a relic is passed down through generations like jewelry. A matrilineal denial of expression in the material world, despite a lifetime of witnessing.

[archivyrep]

Kyber memory crystals, preservation, and memory

Cad Bane apprehends the Kyber memory crystal in Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The kyber memory crystal is a device known as a memory crystal which is used for storing data. One crystal was even used to store information on all infants who are Force-sensitive. Despite the fact this valuable record is guarded, [1] it is stolen by a bounty hunter named Cad Bane on behalf of Darth Sidious. Furthermore information within the crystal can only be accessed when placed in another information-storage device: a holocron, which only a force-user can open.

Reprinted from my Wading Through the Cultural Stacks WordPress blog. Originally published on Dec. 14, 2022.

It is something different from crystalline holobooks which store vast amounts of information in the Jedi Archives, or even the hand-held holocrons, ancient devices. These memory crystals are, as noted in the Wookieepedia entry for kyber memory crystal, designed so data can only be accessed if in a Jedi holocron, [2] and the two components are kept apart. Bane, as previously mentioned, exploits this by coercing Anakin to open the holocron to save the life of Ahsoka Tano, so he can access the information within, in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Cargo of Doom". Only a few of the children on the crystal were captured and later recovered as shown in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Children of the Force". For some reason, he never copied the list before it was recovered by the Jedi. Apart from this, in Darth Vader (2017) 10, Darth Vader is given the memory crystal of Jocasta Nu, which he destroys to "prevent the Emperor from recruiting Sith rivals", eliminating any further information about her.

More directly, while kyber memory crystals are not electronic recordkeeping or information systems. Neither are they noncurrent, inactive, ephemeral, frozen, or facilitative records. Instead, on some level, these records have significance and usefulness to "require their retention for extended periods of time", i.e. long-term value. They also have evidential value and are undoubtedly records:

information or data stored on a medium and used as an extension of human memory or to support accountability [3]

In the case of memory, these crystals are not knowledge of "things of the past" or any sort of recollection, but more in the final form, in terms of computing, i.e. "the portion of a computer used to store information." These crystals do not fulfill the other forms of memory, as they are often based on institutions, group, or organizations. [4] I do hope those crystals aren't read-only memory, i.e. data that can be "read but not changed"! There's more to the kyber memory crystals than this.

There is some speculation that they may hold memories. Beyond that, they are different from kyber crystals which power lightsabers. If the crystals that power lightsabers are "deeply rooted in Jedi tradition", does that mean the same for these memory crystals? This is never answered, but they may have some roots in tradition, as they are undoubtedly used to store information of different types.

Otherwise, there are questions in my mind about preservation. What is done to prevent "harm, injury, decay, or destruction" of these devices? What efforts are taken to limit the "gradual deterioration...from interaction...handling and use, or...composition of the media itself"? This is not answered, unfortunately. I even looked on Archive of Our Own, a collaborative fanfiction archive, and alas found no fics about this, even among the hundreds about kyber crystals.

That's all for this post. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] This is as shown in Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Holocron Heist", as noted on Wookieepedia.

[2] Bane says something different, claiming the holocron has information he needs to collect when the crystal is what actually has the information, but it appears to be an error.

[3] Other definitions of record include: "information or data created or received by an organization in the course of its activities; organizational record"; a phonodisc; "a collection of related data elements treated as a unit, such as the fields in a row in a database table; a data record"; "an entry describing a work in a catalog; a catalog record". This differs from the broader data ("facts, ideas, or discrete pieces of information, especially when in the form originally collected and unanalyzed"), information ("A collection of data, ideas, thoughts, or memories"), or material ("the substance of which something is made"; "a thing; a resource"; "an object having physical or intellectual substance").

[4] Other forms of memory include collective memory ("the information that serves to unify a group of people and provide a group identity"), institutional memory ("the information held in employees' personal recollections and experiences that provides an understanding of the history and culture of an organization, especially the stories that explain the reasons behind certain decisions or procedures"), and corporate memory ("the information in records and in individuals' personal knowledge that provide an understanding of an organization's or group's history and culture, especially the stories that explain the reasons behind certain decisions or procedures"). There's also memory workers, i.e. those who work with "recorded information, particularly when accompanied by a focus on supporting justice and equity and protecting others from harm".

[weirdmirrors]

Memory's Tacit Work

It was in 2006 that I was first sitting at aunt Hanna’s kitchen, her big family gathered around a small table. The lack of electricity accounted for semi-darkness. On the table, a kerosene lamp...

Worked on the second chapter of my dissertation (that was the first one; I shuffle them around), on nostalgia. Discovered that one piece from it can go and become a separate article, and another piece is a nice ethnographic fragment that we don't need. I'll post it on my website.

[tonybannerkenobi]

Legion Moments 4/∞ - Memory Work

“This is how we do it: We look back, we find your powers, we see what triggers them. But what matters the most: we make you whole.”

[womanintheword]

I have been reading the Bible lately trying to get closer to God. I've been baptized and I know Jesus is my savior I just have a hard time remembering what I read. I don't have a hard time actually reading and understanding it's just the process of remembering do you have any suggestions?

Hi friend,I’m so glad that you’ve been reading the Bible in order to grow closer to God! That’s so excellent. I definitely have some tips for memory work:1.) Underline, highlight, and/or write in the margins. I’m not sure if you’re already doing this or not (I realize some people are hesitant about writing in their Bibles), but it definitely helps you to engage fully with the text. 2.) Whether in your head or out loud (to yourself or a friend) or down on paper, summarize what you’ve read directly after you’ve read it. Instant recall. (I prefer paper and think that when we write things down we’re more like to remember them, but I realize this takes more time and some just don’t care for it.) If you manage this directly after you’ve read it, try to recall it again a few hours later, or the next day. This will help you build up your retention. 3.) Have you ever done Scripture memory? There are so many ways to do this, all of them great. You just have to find what works for you. Maybe, if anything, you could pick one verse from each chapter, or each book, that you read, and memorize that. This is such a great exercise for your brain, and if you’re able to do this, I have a feeling you’ll have a much easier time a few months from now when trying to recall summaries of chapters and/or books. Here’s a great video from Beth Moore on Scripture memory. She’s talking specifically about memorizing all of 2 Timothy (which, if you want, go for it), but the tips and tricks are still applicable. Does anyone else know of some good ways to help with/work on memory?All my love,S. 

[unwelcome-ozian]

I've finally realized/recognized my programming. I'm absolutely in despair and above that, outraged. Our memory holder is in shock and trying desperately to hide everything again, but I refuse to let it go. The entire system is in shock, mostly because I was the one who preserved the implanted narrative, but they mostly had no idea. How do I prevent from forgetting? And how do I get rid of this implanted narrative my programmers put in me? I'm the host, I want my life back. (thealmightysystem)

One can write down what they remember as well as others in the system.  Everyone can keep a separate place to write, as well as keep what they wrote in a separate place.  This way if something does occur where memories are forgotten there are some documentation.

Recognizing the narrative is implanted and parts of it or all of it is false is the first step. Often what is done is the narrative is used to cover when the abuse occurred.  For example: If someone goes on a visit to their grandfather’s house. While there they went to the carnival for the day, fell asleep on the way home and woke up the next morning back at their grandfather’s house. There are things that are true, the person went to their grandfather’s house. The false narrative would be the going to the carnival for the day.  

Someone’s entire life can’t be a false narrative. That’s where survivors can become frustrated regarding their memories. It’s complicated by other alters also have lived and experienced life.  The thing is, their is an alter who holds the memory of the abuse that occurred.  

Using the above example, there will be someone who holds the memory of the abuse of what happened at the carnival. The cover narrative will have issues as well. The narrative will be ‘too perfect.’ For instance, remembering every ride, every food eaten, and detailed to a flaw.  Or, it will have too many gaps.  So, the person went to the carnival and rode the ferries wheel and ate cotton candy.  That’s it. But wait, aren’t you afraid of heights? Flaws.

Another way false narratives happen is when adults 'correct’ the memory of the child.  This happens a lot. A child is told, “No, that’s not what happened.”  Then they are told by the adult what 'really’ happened.  Children don’t tend to question adults and their perspective so the narrative is changed.

Memory work in challenging.  False narratives can’t be gotten rid of, as in forgotten, they are like when a program is triggered. One learns how to navigate it, dismantle it, find the truth, and move forward in healing how ever that looks for them.

Oz