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To the Cognitive/Neuroscience Savvy - please inform me

DoubleHelix

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Jul 20, 2012
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Hey,

I have a question about learning and memory. I'm wondering, is the part of the brain responsible for encoding information garnered from external stimuli (especially visual/spatial information) the same part of the brain that encodes memories of fabricated mental imagery? If so, it would be reasonable to assume that if someone found a way to overstimulate the area responsible for spatial memory resulting in increased recall of spatial information, then the same overstimulation of that same area would also increase recall of fantasies. That is my reason for asking the question.

Well, it isn't quite that simple - there is a third 'type of information' I am curious about. Is this the same part of the brain responsible for encoding abstract (formal) information that is derived from sensory experience at that time, such as learning a vocabulary word from a flashcard (which is different from fantasy, which derives its basic material from previous experience, and which is different from visual/spatial, obviously, which is concerned with the concrete stimuli rather than the psychic effects they produce).

By the way, is anyone aware of ways to stimulate these areas more than normal, (chemically, or right after exercise or sleep, perhaps)?
 

Lexicon

Temporal Mechanic
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Hey,

I have a question about learning and memory. I'm wondering, is the part of the brain responsible for encoding information garnered from external stimuli (especially visual/spatial information) the same part of the brain that encodes memories of fabricated mental imagery? If so, it would be reasonable to assume that if someone found a way to overstimulate the area responsible for spatial memory resulting in increased recall of spatial information, then the same overstimulation of that same area would also increase recall of fantasies. That is my reason for asking the question.

Well, it isn't quite that simple - there is a third 'type of information' I am curious about. Is this the same part of the brain responsible for encoding abstract (formal) information that is derived from sensory experience at that time, such as learning a vocabulary word from a flashcard (rather than fantasy, which derives its basic material from previous experience).

By the way, is anyone aware of ways to stimulate these areas more than normal, (chemically, or right after exercise or sleep, perhaps)?


This short section may answer some of your question.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory#Cognitive_neuroscience_of_memory

also this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroanatomy_of_memory

also, while I can't recall structurally what lobes do which, right now [too lazy to review], but.. are you aware of different learning preferences/ the concept of 'multiple intelligences'? Sometimes we retain certain information more readily just based on how we're sort of individually 'wired' to learn. My signature has some simple test results associated with that. I believe those strengths are a factor or another dimension of how we prefer to use different parts of our brains as we develop.

I'll come back to this thread in a bit and see if there's anything else I can add.
 

INTP

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mental imaginary is constructed on visual cortex, but memories are stored elsewhere. so for example you might have a memory of something outside visual cortex, but visual cortex constructing the images for the memories. when you imagine for example an turtle, it makes nearly identical activation on your visual cortex as if you were looking at a turtle, but the idea of what turtle is(all things you associate to it, consciously via memorizing or unconscious associations) comes outside visual cortex.
 
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