How memory works

Ref: https://nautil.us/what-makes-a-memory-real-787268/

Highlights

  • Memory uses the same brain machinery as other thoughts and perceptions.
  • Reality Monitoring: The mental process of distinguishing between memories of real events and those that were imagined.
  • Perception vs. Imagination:
    • Perception: Visual information flows from the eyes through the visual cortex to higher-order brain areas for recognition.
    • Imagination: The process begins in higher-order brain areas, with additional involvement of the frontal cortex, which helps with cognitive control.
  • Anterior Medial Prefrontal Cortex: This region is crucial for distinguishing real memories from imagined ones, playing a key role in attention, working memory, and long-term memory.
  • We rely on our memory to understand the reality we live in.

mindmap
Memory
  perceptions
    eyes - visual cortex - higher-order
  imagination
    higher-order - visual cortex
#memory #general #psychology #thoughts #reality