I will try to clarify if I can, even though it seems jumbled in my head. Often when I read (moderately substantial stuff lengthwise like books or long posts, not faxes or food labels) I have the distinct feeling that I am at a particular place when I am reading it. Not like “I am reading LOTR and I FEEL like I am in Middle Earth” but more of, for example, when I read the book “Body-for-Life” I associate it with being at this vacant lot in the next town over. There is nothing there that is even remotely linked between the content of the book and the location. I didn’t buy the book there, read it there, there is no gym or food store there, etc. Another example, reading “Ender’s Game” gives me the impression of being on my back porch. Read the entire book up in my room, doesn’t face the porch and isn’t in the same part of the house. These locales are almost always mundane street corners in neighboring towns, never exotic places.
I had a few theories about why my mind associates these things, but they don’t seem to hold water. (1) I know it is possible to link information to well known locations (such as described in “Mega Memory” which I associate with my bedroom and that kind of make sense since I read it there first), but I don’t associate them backward as would be useful. I don’t see the Dairy Queen and think of the information in the books I associate with that place, just the opposite. And that is not really useful memory-wise, I don’t need the ability to read an obscure book to remind me of the park down the street, but the reverse would be good. (2) Maybe I store my “stuff I read” memories next to my “places I have been” and they leak? (3) I might be psycho. I give this one the most credence.
Now to Jeopardy/Gqize this into the form of a question…any ideas why I do this? Do any of you experience anything similar?