The first time we encounter an idea or knowledge, it can become imprinted in our brain. That will be the thing we keep coming back to, and depending on the source of that information, this can be either a great thing or a problematic thing.
When we are lucky enough to have a good first source of information, that becomes the solid building block upon which all other knowledge is added. We can connect future knowledge to that first source, and by remembering it, we remember the linked knowledge.
However, when our first source of information is flawed, we can end up with a lot of different struggles. This is especially true when we don't realize that our information is not valid. We might build up connections based on what we first learned, and then when we realize the errors in that initial imprint, we may find the linked information harder to accept (even if it is valid in it's own right). Or, we might find that our imprint information is so contradictory to new information, we find it hard to get any other information to 'stick', because that imprint is too big and powerful.
The good thing is that we don't have to stay stuck with that imprinted information! There are ways to move beyond it or at least lessen it's impact in how we relate to our information. If we are growing in our path, we are continually adding information to our knowledge stores, and being able to deal with issues that might crop up is an important tool to have.
The first step is recognizing the problem. It can be hard to invalidate imprinted information. It tends to form the core of our understanding of a thing, and we are loathe to discard it because it makes us feel like we are starting over (with obstacles already in place). But learning to recognize flawed or even potentially flawed information is a huge thing, and is useful at all steps of learning.
The thing with flawed information is that it may not have been flawed when we learned it. We might have done our work and checked our sources and found the best information at the time...but things change. The world evolves and so does our understanding of it, and what was once the ruling theory or understanding might get debunked. Learning to let go of old ideas takes work, it takes accepting that things change and that we can be wrong. The key is to separate yourself from your knowledge, and to separate the idea of being wrong with the idea that you yourself are somehow 'less' because you made a mistake or understood something differently.
We may be highly influenced by our information, but we aren't the ideas we believe. And admitting you are wrong isn't a sign of weakness, it's actually a sign of strength. Strong, intelligent people are constantly listening and learning, they are open to new information and willing to adapt when the situation calls for it. The more you can practice looking at things from other perspectives, the more you can develop this ability to see how the things you believe might not be true...depending on how you look at them. And when you get to that point, it is much easier to change your perspective and your acceptance of the information you have.
But imprinting is more than just belief in knowledge. Imprinting also includes a knee jerk reaction. When something is imprinted in us, it is the first thing that comes to mind when we think about the subject...whether we still believe it to be true or not. When I learned my elemental/tool correspondences, air was the wand and fire was the blade. I have read about many different ways of assigning the tools and correspondences since then, but that is still what comes up in my brain. It is so well imprinted that I don't even always notice when things manifest differently. My first tarot deck has swords as air and wands as fire, and I didn't even realize this for many years! I would see the cards (and yes, I even read the little white book), and even though the imagery is much more related to fire in wands, I would still think of air.
A big part of noticing what your imprints are is to make it a point to stop and really think about what you are experiencing, from time to time. We make so many assumptions, as we go along, that we often don't realize where we are ignoring what is actually going on. I have read SO many 101 books and lists of basic correspondences, I rarely actually read them anymore. But, I do try to actually slow down and see what is being written (or shared online), because I like to stay abreast of where the current knowledge base is. And it takes really slowing down, because you have to make sure you are reading the words that are there....and not just the ones you are expecting to be there.
Once you have figured out where your imprints are, and that some of them may not alight with your current understanding of things, then you can go in and work on changing your imprints. This might not be something you can ever fully do, but you can go a long way towards making things better in your brain.
One thing you can try is transferring the imprint. The reason why we build that imprint in the first place is that we have a completely blank slate, so that first piece of information is the one that you have had the most exposure to. Every time you think of that subject, you think of the imprint thought...and it gets reinforced. To try to build a stronger imprint, creating a lot of repetition is helpful. Remember back to when you were learning things in school. If you wanted to remember something, your teachers often had you not only read it many times over, but then use the information. The more ways you can interact with the information, the stronger the connection you will build.
Emotional resonance also carries a lot of weight. A lot of times, a song will imprint in my brain based on where I remember hearing it first. But I also have very strong song imprints when I hear a particular song at a specific and impactful moment. These songs now carry those memories imprinted on them. So, if you can build up that emotional connection, you can shift your imprint from 'first impression' to 'meaningful moment.' This might mean building a whole ritual specifically designed to highlight the importance of a thing in your mind or it might mean working with someone else to create that strong memory that will help shift your imprint.
You can also use visualization and memorization tools to help shift an imprint. Let's say I wanted to shift my personal connection between tools and elements, and wanted to link fire and the wand instead of linking fire to the sword. I can spend time visualizing flaming wands or wands making fire, so that even if my first thought when I think of air is a wand, it will be a wand so strongly associated with fire that I will focus on that connection instead of the weaker initial one. Often, the more crazy the situation you can visualize, the more likely you are to remember it. You can even layer on other tools to help reinforce this...sketching out pictures or using songs or poems to help build these images in your head.
No matter what information you have imprinted, you can shift or change those imprints! It will take work, but being flexible in your mind, being able to recognize when you are blinding following old information instead of actually seeing what is true and right in front of you is worth all the effort. And these are tools that become easier the more you use them, so even if it feels daunting at first, stick with it and soon you will find yourself being able to adjust imprints to your benefit!
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