“The taste of the piece of madeleine dipped in lime that my aunt gave me […] the smell and the flavor remain for a long time […] to carry without wavering […] the immense edifice of memory.”
The experience described by Marcel Proust corresponds to what neuroscientists call indirect associative memory, a major brain mechanism. Researchers from INRA and Inserm refined Proust's description during the summer of 2018 by showing that the hippocampus and its cannabinoid receptors play an essential role in the coupling between sensory perceptions and memories.
A powerful learning tool, indirect associative memory influences our behavior by causing inexplicable attractions or rejections towards objects, places or people. Research is never wasted
No comments:
Post a Comment