Lost skills found anew.

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This may or may not become a popular thread, as I'm not sure how the idea grabs to people here. However, I'm interested in hearing about what you all have to say of your so-called "new-found skills". I've had some times in my life where I've had to do something that I've not done in years (for example playing the piano), and discover that even though these things seem to be lacking from my active memory, I can still use them subconsciously or through my muscle memory.

Examples such as:

I went downhill skiing with friends of mine some years ago. I really had no recollection of how to do it since the last time I had done that was just about 10 years back when I was a small kid (around 11-12 years old). Anyway, at first I went down with my skis crossed all the time as my boots (or whatever they are in English) were too tight. Just when I had changed them however, this real good luck fell on me that I took a bit too great a boost and actually slipped from the ice to a completely wrong slope. I had no idea what I did, only watched as suddenly I was able to do all the slides and turns and dodges smoothly again. I was good at it those 10 years ago, though I didn't have much time to learn them. But that my body would still remember it all this well, I had no idea.

Piano is another thing. It is an every-week phenonemon with me that I start to play out something and suddenly find an interesting sounding tune. I fiddle with the start of the tune for some minutes and suddenly I find I'm playing some 3-page advanced-level piano song with no idea what how I'm doing it. I have no recollection of anything that will come after 1 second, but my fingers just go along as if they remember it all.

Such occurrences have happened in other things as well. For example Starsiege: Tribes, which I was away from for 9 months when I went in the army. Coming back from army and playing the game for the first time was truly an awkward experience. I didn't really know how to move in the land (everyone familiar with this game knows it is much more complicated than the average fps) that fast, my shooting-skills seemed to be below the average. But quite quickly my muscle memory kicked in again. And the experience is much like what I had with piano. Meaning that I just laughed and watched what happened, while my hands moved and people just started to die on me with the obviously veteran skills I had. I didn't have much control over what I did or wanted to do, clearly the majority was purely reflexes and pre-trained moves and coordination. All I had to do was to keep my hands on keyboard and mouse, and it was as if some other beign would have acted through them partly against my own conscious will.

... Most of what I just said has to do with muscle memory alone, not anything like "oops I didn't know I knew French", though something of that sort has happened to me as well. An example being a friend of mine who never knew she'd been lefthanded until the age of 4-5. Mysteriously this changed around then. She found out about this as a 16-years old, as her right hand was placed in a plaster due to an accident and she actually learned to use her left hand for writing and dining far better than she should have. Still, I'd like to hear what you others have to say about experiences such as this. I'm all for factual psychological information in case I could learn something new of the physical and biological functions of this. Other than that, I'm satisfied in getting a good conversation over the matter.

[ January 02, 2003, 16:07: Message edited by: Forashi ]

 

When I was younger I was left handed then I turned Right handed at about five. Now though - I am ambi-sinister (Useless with both hands ) Recently I discovered I right normally(enough) with my right hand and write backwards with my left hand.

I also discovered that I could do the splits again (it was an accident, I slipped on a magazine.) I have also remembered the complete history of Chirofen - after I found the corrupt file once named - Realms of Fantasy (now named Realmnkufi) I managed to fix it all

Recently I heard some music that was done in my show. I was rather dissapointed hearing it because I had to give up dancing but I realised I could remember all the steps and could do it in my head.

Mostly I find brand new **shiny** skills though Things I never knew before.

 

I took most of ten years off from playing guitar, and picked it back up in ten minutes, so I definately think there is some sort of muscle memory.

Plus all the typing I've done in the interim has made me a MUCH faster and more accurate guitarist than before.

 

Hah. Me too, I'm not ambi-dextrous, it's fun. And I used to do karate when I was like 9, I'm 17 now, And I picked it back up and remembered almost everything! It's sooo neat. Like, uhhh, paper airplanes!!! I used to be good, and I started again.

 

You have actually brought up quite a fascinating topic.

I have had a number of experiences such as you have described with the piano, on my own instrument the violin. The difference is I play all the time, but the similarity has to do with tactile memory. It is as if the fingers have a mind or memory of their own. I have performed many concerts, playing music from memory. I remember one concert where for a moment I totally drew a blank and didn't know what I was playing next, or even at the moment. And yet, I just allowed my fingers to keep moving. I trusted in them and they played what they had learned and no one was the wiser. I was the only one who knew I had had a memory slip.

Memory takes many forms and uses numerous aspects of our brain. Physical memory is the easiest i.e. riding a bike or skiing... These use large muscle groups. The finer the muscle group the more difficult to maintain. Practice is necessary to maintain these kinds of skills i.e. violin playing, pool playing, darts, etc...

Our senses program a great deal of information within the first decade of our life and most of it is retained. Smells, sounds, colors from our childhood all trigger emotional responses.

 

~shrug~ i usually only focus on my katanas and throwing weapons (small) and most one handed blades and a couple 2 handed (like a quan) but inside i have a knowledge for most of the weapons you can learn... but i started using my hair like in kabuki ~shrug~ i doubt unless i have sharp hair i will not be the newest quantum fighter

(had not used my hair in years it accidently got cut)

[ January 16, 2003, 22:44: Message edited by: X ]