Abstract: In a method for enhancing the data storage capability of ferroelectric or electret memory cell which has been applied to storage of data and attained an imprint condition, suitable voltage pulses are used for evoking a temporary relaxation of the imprint condition into a volatile polarization state that can be discriminated from the imprinted polarization state in a non-destructive readout operation. Sequences of one or more voltage pulses are used to evoke readout signals respectively indicative of a non-volatile and a volatile polarization state of the memory cell, but without altering said polarization states.