Travel is one of the great joys of our modern experience. By introducing ourselves to beautiful new places, people, and experiences, we enhance our overall appreciation and understanding of the world. Most vacations offer us an abundance of experiences and memories that we don’t want to forget. Although it might seem contrary to common sense, sometimes the best way to hold on to your memories on vacation is to forgo trying to capture them on camera. The access given to us by having a powerful camera in our pocket Is nothing to laugh at, but some studies suggest that our reliance on using an external device to keep track of our lives can get in the way of holding on to those moments simply using the power of our given memories.
The power of your mind is greater than you think
The capacity of the human mind to record memories is truly incredible; the average adult stores countless individual memories from each and every day. Our ability to utilize this amazing tool that we are born with is enhanced the more we use it. Therefore, it only makes sense that by skipping trying to capture an experience with a camera or phone, and opting for simply enhancing our internal powers of concentration and attention, we can find ourselves so involved by our experience that we will forget that we even meant to take a picture! By consistently choosing to use our memories to record our life experiences rather than our camera, we enhance and strengthen this invaluable ability.
Go with the flow of your experience
Some of the most memorable experiences we have are those in which we are totally engaged with what we are doing. This type of sensation goes by the name of “Flow”, and many researchers have concluded that it is one of the most enjoyable psychological states that we have available to us. If you are fully engaged in what you are doing to the utmost degree, it means that the senses and mental faculties are totally stimulated. If you can imagine that, then you can probably imagine that when you interrupt this flow of attention by trying to take a picture, you might end up putting in more thought into taking the picture than into the experience you’re trying to capture!
Focusing on photos might mean missing out
We travel in order to see new places, try new foods, appreciate the world’s monuments and cultures, and reward ourselves for the hard work we put into daily life. However, with the advent of social media, there is another element at play when we go on vacation. The pressure is on to post amazing content that will impress and delight your friends and loved ones. But sometimes, when we base our enjoyment of an experience on the reaction that it will extract from our online audience, we end up less engaged in the very experience that we were trying to appreciate. Sometimes, that beautiful promenade, delicious street food, or new friend becomes that much more special when we give them our full undivided attention.
Another trip, another great set of memories
Of course our modern technology isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and neither is our desire to explore our world. By keeping your phone or camera in your pocket sometimes, you open up the possibility of truly engrossing yourself in the experience that you came for.
