Researchers have a new explanation for one of the Einstein ’s most weird peculiarities – the phenomenon ofdéjà vu . Presenting his squad ’s in vogue study at the recentInternational Conference on Memoryin Budapest , Akira O’Connor from the University of St Andrews line how apparent glitches in the Matrix may in fact just be the brain fact - checking its own retentiveness organization .
According toNew Scientist , O’Connor and his fellow commence by devising a proficiency toartificially initiation déjà vu . To achieve this , they presented subject participants with a series of affiliated words , without revealing the one word that links them . For instance , in one trial the words bed , pillow , dream and dark were all submit , yet the term slumber – which clearly connects all of these words – was omitted .
To ensure participants registered that they had n’t heard the parole sleep , the researchers postulate them whether or not they had hear any tidings start out with an " S " , to which they obviously replied in the negative . However , when they were later grilled on which wrangle had been presented , most tended to reckon they could remember hearing the word sopor , despite knowing that they had n’t , resulting in an eerie horse sense of déjà vu .
Using running charismatic resonance imaging ( fMRI ) , the team observed that when this occurred , the most active region of participants ’ brains were not those normally relate withmemory , such as thehippocampus . Instead , the frontal areas , which are typically involved in decisiveness fashioning , were trip during the déjà vu experience .
As such , O’Connor believes that these head-on realm probably monitor our memories as they are replayed , looking for wrongdoing in their content and becoming activated when they spot an irregularity . As Stefan Köhler from the University of Western Ontario told New Scientist : “ There may be some conflict resolution go on in the brain during déjà vu . ”
Though more work is needed so as to formalise this theory , if correct it would hint that the nous engages in tone control , supervise its own natural action and flagging up any error that might go on . In this context , the frontal areas seem to be check for inconsistencies between what we call back happening and what we know happened .
[ H / T : New Scientist ]
