How are memories stored in the brain?
In: Biology
I like the Holographic Memory and State Dependent Memory ideas
The first was demonstrated in rats, and supposes that all of your memories are stored in every part of your brain at once. If you get part of your brain scooped out (as they did to the rats, who could still navigate the maze, albeit with less confidence), then you still have your memories, only paler and less sharp.
State Dependent Memory is pretty sensible and states that your memories are stored in the state of mind you were in when they were created. Can’t remember where you set your keys? What were you feeling when you set them down (if anything)?
When you’re anxious, you can’t remember what you knew when you were calm, and maybe even the opposite is true. In order to have access to those memories, you have to put yourself back in that state of mind.
You can even do this with muscle memory. Pinch a certain part of your arm or flex a certain muscle, and focus on a piece of information. When you want to remember it, pinch that part of your arm again or flex that muscle again. It *should* work. The little bit of pain or using only specifically that muscle are both unique states of mind, and therefore memorable information should be stored with them.
How the brain does this? No idea. It’s a 10 watt neural computer way more complicated than any i’ll ever work on.
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