Memory And Concentration

Memory problems can trigger exhaustion; exhaustion can trigger memory problems.  Whichever one comes first makes no difference as to the devastating consequences and almost inescapable downward spiral that could come about.  The same is true of memory and concentration: memory problems can impair concentration and vice versa.  Whether someone has realized it or not, memory is essential to navigating the practical elements of everyday life and to easily concentrating on the abstract necessary truths that are the foundation of reality alike.  Ironically, even someone who was once neglectful or antagonistic towards rationalistic philosophy and unconcerned with ultimate matters of reality could find themselves desperate for some sort of stable ground and absolute certainty if their memory significantly deteriorated.

A vicious cycle that weakens memory and concentration, or at least prevents the inprovement of both, could easily result.  The person struggles to remember, which not only can inflict a deep and ongoing exhaustion that does not help whatsoever, but also can distract them as they mentally scramble to recall what has just led up to the present moment.  Then, the present moment is for a variety of reasons even harder to focus on, which in turn adds more to what the person might need to or strive to remember, which can leave them more overwhelmed, disoriented, and exhausted.  As an unfortunate consequence, whatever strongholds of memory might remain could start requiring more effort to maintain or the person's memory could weaken further due to the stress.

Inversely, having a strong memory can facilitate concentration on a moment to moment basis, and stable concentration can make it far easier to memorize things.  Fastening a memory within one's mind is after all nowhere near as complicated when one is not constantly trying to recall what happened in the preceding moments.  It could actually be basically effortless in this case, as opposed to the alternative where committing the most minute or simple details to memory and then actually recalling them with immediacy can be immensely tiring and daunting.  Someone with a stable memory, whether a rationalist or not, has a much easier life than they otherwise would, with the exception of remembering something traumatic or frustrating when they strongly wish otherwise.

A true crisis of memory is more existentially, personally destabilizing that many might dare to think because this state seems so far from their current experiences—and because they have not discovered the logical truths already stated in this post.  However, there is no logical guarantee that such a condition will not befall someone at any time without evidential warning, even wholly apart from grand or numerous external pressures that drain someone's energy or directly tax their memory.  Neither a history of stable memory functioning nor self-perpetuated philosophical ignorance (including of how one's memory could suddenly and severely decline) mean that the smoothness of one's memory will continue.

Not all hope would be lost.  The fact that logical axioms are inherently true because their falsity still requires their veracity, that person's own consciousness exists, and other miscellaneous logically necessary facts could still be grasped in the moment by adhering to reason and not because of memory, but focusing on multiple truths simultaneously could be greatly challenging or impossible for someone whose memory and concentration are in such disarray.  For a non-rationalist, though, such an experience might bring them to grapple with the sheer facade that the more practical layers of life were ever knowable beyond veils of potentially misleading perceptions.  On a personal level as well as for the sake of truth itself, it is better to seek the deep truths of reason that underly all else before a hypothetical memory disaster strikes than to clamor with greater difficulty to hold to truth and certainty.