The relations of the present to the past and the future, in psychology as elsewhere, are causal relations, not relations of interpenetration. ... Memory does not prolong the existence of the past ; it is merely one way in which the past has effects.
Source: Religion and Science, 1935, chapt. 8: Cosmic Purpose
More info.: https://russell-j.com/beginner/RS1935_08-130.HTM
* a brief comment:
In physics, we are expected to eliminate personal subjectivity and think as objectively as possible. In contrast, since the subject of study in psychology is the human mind, subjectivity tends to creep in, and there do not seem to be many people who try to pursue objectivity to the same degree as in physics.
For example, consider the following sentence from "Today's Words of Russell" (see attached image):
"Memory does not prolong the existence of the past; it is merely one way in which the past has effects."
How do you interpret this statement?
We tend to feel that "as long as we have memories, the past still lives on within us." However, in reality, the contents of memory change over time, and are sometimes even reconstructed. In other words, what we recall as a "past memory" is, strictly speaking, a memory that exists now in our brain, it is not a direct record of what happened at the time.
From this perspective, Russell's point that memory is not a continuation of the past, but merely one way in which the past affects the present, seems to offer an important insight. Even in psychology, where subjective interpretations often dominate, this view may encourage us to adopt a more objective way of thinking.
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