Bringing Memories to Life
I have a lot of memories from my childhood that I remember vividly. There are some that, though, are harder to conjure up and recall. I think that's because it's not as easy for me to mentally create them in my head as others might be able to. But I really wish I could remember those particular memories just so they'd mean something more special for me.
I've seen other people be able to do this by using photo albums or old family videos they find in the attic or basement — but there’s got to be a better way, right? Surely someone has created software that can help me bring my memories back from the dead? Well... sort of.
So, imagine a software program that is capable of recording the details of your memories and then creating a narrative around them. Now imagine that it could be easily shared with anyone else as well, allowing you to share your experiences with family and friends — and get their perspectives on certain memories as well! In fact, this software has already been built — it's called The Emotion Machine .
The Emotion Machine was born out of a desire to understand human emotion , especially in relation to the people around us. The algorithm behind this technology was designed by David Brooks PhD , an assistant professor at University of California, San Diego (UCSD). As I read more about Dr. Brooks and The Emotion Machine , I noticed an interesting trend: the experience of making these memories was pretty much the same as the experience of creating them. I wanted to know how this software worked, so Dr. Brooks invited me over to UCSD to take a look at it firsthand and answer a few questions for me.
I'm not one who likes to just let things slide with no questions asked, so during our 30-minute meet-up in his lab, we got right down to business and had some answers for each other on very basic human emotion topics. Some of the things that surprised me were:
1 . Emotion can be both positive or negative.
2 . Emotion can be both conscious and unconscious.
3 . Emotion can be both positive and negative at the same time.
4 . Emotion is subjective.
5 . Emotion doesn't always indicate pain or pleasure, it indicates that an emotion has been experienced.
6 . You can become relieved from certain negative emotions through thought and visualization — which is what The Emotion Machine does as well!
7 . Being able to mentally recall memories, in some ways, feels like a form of meditation. It's hard to describe, but think about those times when you close your eyes... and maybe focus on something — an image, a sound, a feeling. You can kind of take that moment and mentally transport it to wherever you want it to go: in the past, present, or future. It's even more powerful when you're able to bring someone else into that experience as well.
Since I was able to write about The Emotion Machine in this blog article, I figured I'd give away two more uses for The Emotion Machine that I didn't get the chance to talk about in this article.
1 . For anyone who has trouble connecting with another person by using words alone... The Emotion Machine could be a great resource to help you gain insight into their feelings, and potentially improve your social skills.
2 . For those who are struggling to understand their own emotions, this program could provide you with some tools to help you process your feelings and better understand them.
The Emotion Machine isn't something that's meant for everyone... it's meant for people who have an interest in this sort of thing. If you're someone who is interested in the human experience and human emotion , then The Emotion Machine could be a very special tool that can bring your life back to life by re-living past experiences.
Bring the memories to life.
Emotion Machines is a technology blog, following AI and human emotion , that was launched in October 2015. I'm a big fan of science and technology , but I also love writing about human emotion . To see more posts from this blog, check out its homepage or follow its social media links below:
Facebook : www.facebook.com/emotion.machines Twitter : twitter.com/emotionsmag Tweet : @emotionmachines Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamy-j-johnson-9b68bb12 Google+ : +https://plus.google.com/+EmotionMachines Blog : http://emotionmachines.wordpress.com You Tube : http://www.youtube.com/user/emotionmachines
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Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read about how my wife and I use The Emotion Machine, and for your interest in this technology! I hope that you'll share this link with other folks who could benefit from this program, and that we'll be able to hear all about their experiences as well. Until then... keep on living!
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The Emotion Machine is not offered in any form to diagnose or treat any psychological or emotional condition . This software is intended solely for use as an aid in understanding human emotion . The author does not accept any responsibility or liability for use of this program, and makes no guarantee of its accuracy or applicability.