Hypnosis maybe?

[YT2095]

I know I`m not the only one (I`ve asked others this and they confirm similar experiences).

 

ever listened to a song that you`ve not heard for decades and then one day you do and you get like Flashbacks? I don`t know a better word for it. but you can rem things that you`de forgetten and stuff.

the same works with certain smells too (I find it does for me anyway).

what is IS it?

is it some sort of hypnosis at the time or something?

anyone else get this happen to them?

 

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

It's because you are stimulated, and if your brain associated that song/smell with something else (like riding in the car hearing it) then you can remember it.

[-Demosthenes-]

That's happened to me before. Even though I have only been around for one and a half decades.

[aommaster]

Cap'n Refsmmat said:

 

It's because you are stimulated, and if your brain associated that song/smell with something else (like riding in the car hearing it) then you can remember it.

 

Nice explanation. Everytime i play a piece of music on my keyboard, an image comes up! I was always wondering what had actually caused it.

 

So.....if you study with a piece of music playing, then take an exam with the same music playing, will you be able to do better?

[Glider]

The technical term for it is memory.

 

Current theory of memory states that trauma and pathology aside, we never lose a memory, only the traces to it. If these traces are triggered, the original memory is evoked (Wilder Penfield demonstrated this using microelectrodes).

 

Smell is the only sense which does not pass through (and undergo primary processing in) the hypothalamus. It is one of our oldest senses, and projects into the limbic brain and into areas associated with memory (e.g. medial temporal regions, hippocampus etc.).

 

Smells are particularly evocative. Sounds, particularly music works on an emotional level (again this involves the limbic brain) and for that reason, is also particularly evocative. Both these stimuli have the ability to re-evoke emotions that we felt when first exposed to them (a particular smell or piece of music). This is particularly pronounced if the original emotions were strong.

 

As memory is reconstructive, once having triggered the original emotional state, event memories laid down at that time (and in that emotional context) are much easier to trace, and thinking about one thing (one memory) which comes to mind under those circumstances will trigger the traces to others laid down at that time.

[aommaster]

aommaster said

So.....if you study with a piece of music playing, then take an exam with the same music playing, will you be able to do better?

 

 

 

What about that? Will it work?

[Glider]

To a degree yes. It's called context dependent (sensitive) learning. There have been studies on it. The results of such studies are a bit abivalent as it seems to depend on what you are trying to learn. Emotionally 'coloured' or valenced memories are the ones most sensative to the effect. 'Dryer' memories e.g. academic stuff is less prone the the effect as it is harder to associate that material to the original stimulus (music or whatever)..

[aommaster]

oh. Thanx alot!

[YT2095]

that`s interesting, I was wondering then if that`s anything to do with certain smells that are supposed to aid learning as taught in aroma therapy, Basil Oil is supossed to be a good one.

[MishMish]

Question on whether or not memories can be lost, thought they could. If not, what does "extinction" refer to then, or do they apply the term but not really mean it?

 

Not quite sure how to phrase it, but re being able to retrieve memories in a conscious manner (thinking primarily of episodic) am esp curious if some level of conscious awareness is required at the time of the initial incident, am wondering if memories may not form or be consolidated even if the individual is able to respond to the situation at hand

[-Demosthenes-]

Could you remember something that happened like when you were really young? Like when you were born? That would be weird.

[Glider]

MishMish said in post # :

Question on whether or not memories can be lost, thought they could. If not, what does "extinction" refer to then, or do they apply the term but not really mean it?

 

Another theory of memory (the 'leaky bucket' theory) proposes that older memories are extinguished and 'overwritten' by newer memories. However, since Wilder Penfield demonstrated the existance of very early memories that could be evoked by direct electrical stimulation of temporal regions, most people tend to believe that memories are never really lost, but the traces to them can be. I suppose the term extinction could apply to the traces. However, I'm most familiar with the term extinction in the context os learned behaviours rather than memory.

 

Not quite sure how to phrase it, but re being able to retrieve memories in a conscious manner (thinking primarily of episodic) am esp curious if some level of conscious awareness is required at the time of the initial incident, am wondering if memories may not form or be consolidated even if the individual is able to respond to the situation at hand

 

There is some evidence that learning takes place at a very low level; for example, even under anaesthesia. Episodic (flashbulb) memory seems to require only an emotional trace rather than 'higher level' traces such as semantics. 

 

As for remembering things when you were born, this is unlikely for several reasons: Firstly, in order to encode a memory that can be retrieved, we need existing points of reference, sort of 'cognitive hooks' to hang them on. A newborn has none to speak of so much of the incoming information makes no sense and therefore could not be meaningfully encoded. Another reason is that whilst in an adult brain, memories may not be over written, the brain of a newborn undergoes significant changes in the first 6 months of life; the formation and reinforcement of synaptic connections and the extinction of redundant ones, programmed cell death and so-on. In all probability, the 'neural matrix' (for want of a term) is too unstable at that time to hold onto memories and any incoming information that either is not constantly reinforced, or makes no sense will be 'physically over written' (like a low level format) by the plastic changes taking place. This of course is not to say that learning does not occur during that period, it does, but mainly information that is reinforced day after day. We generally cannot recall anything much before 2 - 4 years of age. 

[MishMish]

Glider, can not remember where I saw the reference to extinction but was in the context of learned behaviour now I think about it, and specifically setting some sorts of learning aside as capable of being "extinguished" and not others. Think then I misapplied it

 

And was not suggesting anything quite as simplistic as a leaky bucket, just that it seems reasonable to me if memories are not recreated they could be lost if the neurons are coopted for new associations.

 

My second question refers to that cognitive hook you're referring to, had not heard the term but like it. For myself have thought my poor episodic memories might be explained by low levels of awareness, but not having access to the memories makes judging level of awareness problematic, and have not yet (and only recently started looking into this stuff) come across a proposed model for that specifically. Have seen that extremely stressful situations may inhibit formation of explicit memories, but am interested if "understimulation" could. So question would be whether or not lack of such cognitive hooks is thought to apply to later stages of development as well, at least in certain conditions

[rockstarjaiden]

What about those few people who remember literally everything from the time you CAN remember until now? does that mean anything? i can remember things all the way back from when I was...2 or 3... i think hypnosis is more than just memories... it's just mental period. it's all in your mind. think about it because people go through hypnotism to stop bad habits and stuff... it's completely mental....

[Glider]

I agree. I think it's safe to say that memory, hypnosis, habitual behaviours and suchlike are all in the mind.