The human brain can be categorized in different ways and its ability to retain information. One of the most often used classifications are based on the duration of memory retention, especially the sensory, short term and long term memory. Short term memory refers to the recent memory, and is most of the time short-lived in our memory. A common example would be when you get to see faces in Alcoholic Anonymous and introduce yourselves to each other. Long term memory, on the other hand, can be likened to a computer chip where every single data or knowledge that you have learnt is kept. Sensory memory is conveyed through your five senses and you identify objects through the ?images? that come to your mind when your senses are intrigued



Sleep

Our memory can be enhanced through having enough sleep Research backs the theory that memory related to our senses are more etched into our minds in the long term memory when there is adequate sleep. Research has also shown that facts and other information are also able to be retained and recalled with greater ease when paired with sleep. This has been attributed to the fact that sleep strengthens the memories and protecting them from external forces that would cause us to forget them

Emotions

Emotions also play a big part in memory retention. The emotional impact that an image, word or event has on the individual has a huge impact on it being stored in the long term memory. This is as the amygdale, the part of the mind that is related to emotion, is essential in accustoming our memories in accordance to importance, based on the intensity of the emotions. This is regardless of the nature of the emotion.

Memory Retention Tools

The human mind is a complex element of our cognitive abilities, and memories can be either verbal or non-verbal. There are many techniques for retaining information. These include organization of information through meaning, where associations between new information is received and linked with information already stored in the long term memory. Other forms of such memory retention techniques include visual organization, by co-joining the things we want to remember with objects linked through similarities in certain characteristics

Mnemonic devices are another often employed tool in memory retention. The use of acronyms is common, especially in branding, where a sequence of words is easily recalled based on the first letter of each word in the list being used to form a single, new word. Acrostics, using word lists to remember and memorize things in a specific order is also another frequently used technique as well Rhymes or songs that are catchy are used, putting new words into a familiar jingle in order to better capture and retain information.