I wonder about what of the material life we need to retain in the spiritual life. The Buddha says that rafts are for crossing the river but not for carrying around once we're on the far side; similarly, Plotinos says that "virtue" is the process of coming near a higher power, but the higher power has no need of the virtue. (Indeed, he calls the spiritual virtues "purificatory," and isn't purity a stripping away of the unnecessary?)

Your notion of "higher" and "lower" memory sounds like a fruitful avenue to explore; thanks for suggesting it...