I thought that the most interesting part of the reading was the different aspects of memory that Schacter identified in his book. My memory seems like a jumbled unorganized mass of events and emotions that I can never recall at the right times, but always comes back to me at the wrong times. I found the ideas of field and observer memories very interesting as well as remembering and knowing memories. While reading these concepts and thinking about my own memories I was able to better organize and understand some memories of mine. I have a very hard time remembering events from my childhood, and one problem that I have always noticed is that when trying to remember things, I always end up remembering what I initially think of as memories. After thinking about it further, I realize that I am really remembering photos taken of me as a child, adding a story to them, and then thinking that they are memories.

I also found the discussion of computers as rememberers very interesting. I do not know much about computers but I disagree with the cognitive scientists who think that computers could be programmed to undergo the same processes as human memory. They may be able to recall events, but they will be missing the emotional and sensorial aspects of the memory. For me sometimes the strongest and most powerful memories are those brought on suddenly by a smell or sound that I have not experienced in a long time.