Health: How Memories Are Created

n order to understand how a memory is created, we need to have some idea of how the brain functions, The human brain does not work the same way as a computer – even though this has been one of the most of popular analogies applied to our brains in recent years.

Computer memory vs Brain memory

1. A computer memory keeps data in a precise location, tagged for easy retreval
2. While the brain appears to store memories in a less systematic way – the same memory can, om theory at least, be retrieved from many different parts of the brain and by many different routes.
3. Some memories may not be accessible at all because they have been eccentrically labeled during storage and we do not know how to find them.
4. A memory is stored as a result of electrical signals causing a change in the physical structure of the brain, and similar electrical signals are involved in the recovery fhat memory.
5. The moment we perceive or recollect – anything, a short-term memory of it is created in the form of a complicated sequence of electrochemical impulse that are passed back and forth.
6. The pattern in the network of neurons does not jusr represent the memory, it is literally the memory.
7. Far from being simple a complex illusion experienced by the conscious mind; the pattern is an active ingredient of consciousness.

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Encoding of the brain

1. The activity of a single neuron could set off a cascade of impulses that can theoretically course through the brain along more different pathways than there are atoms in the universe.
2. The interactions between neurons in a new short-term memory create a pattern, or trace, that is quickly lost unless it is consolidated into a long-term memory.
3. Many different factors affect how likely it is that a short-term memory will be consolidated, whether we are particularly stressed or distracted.
4. The process by which memory is consolidated appears to involve the thalamus and a region near the center of the brain called hippocampus, which we can think of as providing energy for creation of long-term memories in other parts of the brain.
5. A active memory is a pattern of electrical impulses passing around a group of neurons.
6. Making long-term memories involves changing the physical characteristics of the brain – including increasing the number of synapes along the desired route – so that some patterns are easily activated or excited than others.
7. The physical memory traces through such permanent changes in the brain’s structure are sometimes known as engrams.

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Practice with Short-term Memory

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1. Use a large sheet of paper to write down a sequence of 4 numbers on the top line, such as 3, 5, 6, 7.
2. Write two more sequences of 4 digits below.
3. On the fourth, fifth and sixth lines write sequences of 5 digits.
4. On the next 3 lines write sequences of 5 digits. Continue this till 10 digits.
5. Next, read the number sequence on the first line to yourself at a steady pace.
6. Then conceal that sequence by covering it with another piece of paper and try to recall the numbers in order.
7. Move the sheet cover away and note whether or not you remembered the numbers completely correct.
8. If so, move on to next first sequence of the next length, if not, try the next sequence of the same length.
9. Continue to test until you cannot correctly repeat the numbers of 3 attempts.
10. Your digital span is number of digits contained in the longest sequence of numbers that you can recall.

Thanks for reading and have a great memory ahead.

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