Publish at May 28 2026 Updated May 28 2026
We have a troubled relationship with memory. We all want to retain as many memories as possible for as long as possible. We all fear losing it as we age, or being affected by diseases such as Alzheimer's. Yet it never ceases to play tricks on us. And yet, it's always playing tricks on us.
Some things come back to us very easily, while others require an archaeological dig in our cortex. This applies just as much to personal memories as to knowledge acquired during school or training.
We already have a tendency to overestimate our memory. We think we store everything in our heads, just as if we were filling a hard disk. But studies show that we naturally lose 80% of new concepts within a month.
As memory specialists explain, this loss is normal and in fact very healthy. It's not a defect, but a feature that enables us to function better. Remembering exactly all the details of an embarrassing event wouldn't give us the opportunity to move on, or it could affect our ability to project ourselves into the future.
Of course, there are some people with phenomenal memories, but in general, studies have shown that this mainly concerns points of interest that are very important to them (which they have therefore studied) or stories from their personal lives. When asked about other notions, they get the facts wrong or distorted... just like everyone else.
This idea of photographic memory would have no scientific value. Because that's not how memory works. It doesn't take photos of objects and knowledge and place them in a brain file. Searching through memories actually involves reconstructing the past or knowledge using current elements such as attitudes and goals, as well as emotional states.
Specialists therefore suggest that individuals create memory anchors to support this search for information. The idea of developing reproducible signals every morning, for example, would help us to become alert more quickly. This requires us to put ourselves in a posture of openness, where all our attention is focused on the senses: the taste of a cup of coffee, the smell of a flower on the kitchen table, the position of our feet on the floor or on an ottoman, and so on. All this creates anchors that the brain can hold on to. A 90-second anchor can make mornings more energetic and, conversely, the same exercise can help you relax before bedtime.
So this anchoring technique works for both knowledge and memories. It is possible to anchor physical elements to knowledge. Reproducing a small gesture associated with numbers or a mathematical formula can help with memorization by repeating it during reviews and assessments.
A sequence of actions to remember could be performed to a tune known to the person. When learning a language, especially a foreign one, linking a new word with an image or another word close to it in one's own language can create anchors that can be reused later. This is often called a mnemonic.
A personal example is the German word "Spielzeug", meaning toy. To remember it, I immediately associated its spelling and tone with Spielberg, the director who made films that amazed children, many of which ended up being turned into toys.
This anchoring can also be realized in the more classic revision, by doing it intelligently. Indeed, if some people manage to cram before an exam, it's almost certain that most of the material will be lost in the days that follow. For more lasting acquisition, specialists suggest three different approaches:
Practice allows us to take the theoretical elements we've just learned and apply them directly. This can be through experimentation, simulation, reiteration or content creation.
Playing can also be a very good way of creating anchors with knowledge, since the positive emotions aroused by the act of playing will inscribe messages, knowledge, etc. for longer.
In fact, spaced repetition also has its effect on anchoring notions. In pedagogy, repetition is inevitable. The idea is to do it more intelligently. Doing it only a few times over a period is worthless. It's better to leave a certain amount of time between revisions, to counteract the natural curve of forgetting. In this vein, the Académie de Versailles has created an application for teachers and students called Ré-activ', which uses the spacing of repetitions to ensure that educational subjects become ingrained in children's memories.
References:
"Anchor Unforgettable Memories Instantly: Why memory anchoring enhances recall dramatically." TheBluePeter. Last updated: December 16, 2025. https://www.thebluepeterplymouth.co.uk/psychology/anchor-unforgettable-memories-instantly-why-memory-anchoring-enhances-recall-dramatically-2764/.
"Astounding attention boost: how memory anchoring refocuses the mind in seconds." TheBlondieBar. Last updated: December 16, 2025. https://www.theblondiebar.uk/psychology/astounding-attention-boost-how-memory-anchoring-refocuses-the-mind-in-seconds-2751/.
"How to repeat over and over again, intelligently and without getting bored." Les Objectifs Pédagogiques En Formation. Last updated January 5, 2026. https://objectifspedagogiques.com/2026/01/05/comment-repeter-sans-cesse-intelligemment-et-sans-lasser/.
Diamond, Steve. "Anchoring and learning: 3 concrete tools to make training last." Cabinet De Recrutement Bruxelles Archetype. Last updated: July 28, 2025. https://www.archetype-eu.com/ancrage-et-apprentissage-3-outils-concrets-pour-faire-durer-la-formation/.
"L'empreinte mémorielle, une solution pour un maintien durable des connaissances acquises." Cned. Last updated: May 13, 2025. https://www.cned.fr/l-actualite-de-la-formation/le-cned-de-a-a-z/l-empreinte-memorielle-une-solution-pour-un-maintien-durable-des-connaissances-acquises.
"Minute ScienceCo n° 8: Reactiv', a tool to promote memorization and comprehension." Numérique éducatif & intelligence artificielle. Last updated: March 19, 2026. https://drane.region-academique-idf.fr/article560.html.
"Morning energy boost with one sip: why memory anchoring enhances alertness in 2 minutes." BoxCantonese. Last updated: December 16, 2025. https://www.boxcantonese.co.uk/money-productivity/morning-energy-boost-with-one-sip-why-memory-anchoring-enhances-alertness-in-2-minutes-2786/.
Principe, Gabrielle. "Photographic memory is a myth - here's what research really says about remembering." The Conversation. Last updated: May 5, 2026. https://theconversation.com/photographic-memory-is-a-myth-heres-what-research-really-says-about-remembering-278160.
"Raising awareness through play: when play becomes a tool for transformation." Melt Communication & Humanities. Last updated: November 21, 2025. https://melt-communication.fr/sensibiliser-par-le-ludique-quand-le-jeu-devient-un-outil-de-transformation/.
Repeat after me: repetition is a good thing - Alexandre Roberge - Thot Cursus
https://cursus.edu/fr/10472/repetez-apres-moi-la-repetition-est-une-bonne-chose
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