Property of Consciousness 3

12/08/2009 by admin.

It is fairly clear that consciousness and explicit memory have a link. Our explicit memories are exclusively memories of conscious experience and when recalled form a conscious-type experience. Forming an explicit memory appears to have at least three stages: first, forming a working memory; second, forming a temporary memory in the hippocampus system awaiting consolidation; and third, forming a long-term memory distributed in the cortex during sleep. It is working memory that is linked to consciousness and it appears to rely to some extent on specific types of cells that can sustain activity for a period of time. Working memory appears to have a limit and can hold only a few consecutive slices of consciousness at a time.

The explicit memory is either episodic or semantic. It gives a narrative to our lives and allows us to learn from experience.

Property/function of consciousness #3 – Consciousness is, or is the immediate source of, working memory and therefore of explicit memory. Explicit memory allows us to recall experience in a conscious-like holistic way. It gives a personal narrative and facilitates particular types of learning.

Here are the previous posting relating to memory and consciousness.

What goes on in dreams

Towards understanding working memory

Memory

Memories in time

Implicit and explicit memory

Keeping echoes in mind

Visual memory

There will be more on memory as I find it.

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