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'Time Cells' Discovered In Human Brains That Lead To Cinema-Like Memories

HStallion

HStallion

Member
Oct 25, 2017
62,364
NPR Link: Why Some Memories Seem Like Movies: 'Time Cells' Discovered In Human Brains

If you fall off a bike, you'll probably end up with a cinematic memory of the experience: the wind in your hair, the pebble on the road, then the pain.

That's known as an episodic memory. And now researchers have identified cells in the human brain that make this sort of memory possible, a team reports in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The cells are called time cells, and they place a sort of time stamp on memories as they are being formed. That allows us to recall sequences of events or experiences in the right order.
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In the experiment, the patients studied sequences of 12 or 15 words that appeared on a laptop screen during a period of about 30 seconds. Then, after a break, they were asked to recall the words they had seen.

Meanwhile, the researchers were measuring the activity of individual brain cells. And they found a small number that that would fire at specific times during each sequence of words.

"The time cells that we found, they are marking out discrete segments of time within this approximately 30-second window," Lega says.

These time stamps seemed to help people recall when they had seen each word, and in what order, he says. And the brain probably uses the same approach when we're reliving an experience like falling off a bike.
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But even though time cells are critical in creating sequences, Buzsáki says, they really aren't like clocks, which tick at a steady pace. Instead, the ticks and tocks of time cells are constantly speeding up or slowing down, depending on factors like mood.

"When you have to wait for the elections, then every day is a long day," Buzsáki says. "The same thing is true when we are asking when is COVID over. It's very, very slow. But when you are having a good time, time flies."
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Link to the research article: Time cells in the human hippocampus and entorhinal cortex support episodic memory

I wonder if those who have many really vivid memories have an excess of these particular types of cells or something similar. I know I've got many memories where I can easily recreate the whole moment in my head from the smells to the sights and sounds.
 
Team_Feisar

Team_Feisar

Member
Jan 16, 2018
5,355
1. Neat
2. "Time Cells" sounds like a late 90s arcade light gun shooter with a slomo gimmick. Probably with a cartoon tie-in
 
Masterspeed

Masterspeed

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,828
England
That would be cool, my memory is terrible. I can't remember most of my childhood and tweens. I'm only 29... I can't put a single face, body or name to any teacher I've had in school.
 
skrskg

skrskg

Member
Oct 27, 2017
968
Sweden
This reminds me of something I've thought about. Is there an explanation for the memories you have (or at least I do) that takes place in third person?

As in: you see yourself in the memory, like an observer of the events.

I've always figured they must be memories of events that I don't recall, but that someone else has told me about.

EDIT: So I googled it and found recent research into the subject.

"Adopting an observer-like perspective involves viewing the past in a novel way, which requires greater interaction among
brain regions that support our ability to recall the details of a memory and to recreate mental images in our mind's eye."
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Jakenbakin

Jakenbakin

"This guy are sick" and Corrupted by Vengeance
Member
Jun 17, 2018
11,953
I have a terrible visual memory, but the cause of my PTSD is very vivid and "cinematic" which I've often thought is interesting. Despite not being good at picturing things in my head, recalling memories, or even being a good dreamer, I know the capability is there, it just isn't used.
 
PlateOfShrimp

PlateOfShrimp

Member
Apr 16, 2020
714
Pretty amazing. I wonder what other types of specialized cells are out there organizing information in our brains.
 
Z-Beat

Z-Beat

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
31,920
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VorpalNonsense

VorpalNonsense

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,688
So specific cells are tasks with formatting the memories with time relations, neat
That reminds me, I still don't fully understand the physical presence of memory
It always seems to be explained in more conceptual form or in vague reference to regions of the brain
I don't know how that physical arrangement of molecules in my head exists or how that translates into the image of tyler in 2nd grade blaming me for shit i didnt do
 
Digital Dinosaur

Digital Dinosaur

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,111
Rita Repulsa's Moon Palace
Interestingly, I recall reading somewhere that the ability to organize memories into a timeline may be linked to self-awareness.

The thinking is that the better capacity for temporal awareness an animal has, the more acute their sense of self becomes. They are capable of visualizing themselves as a discreet entity that travels through time, rather than existing in a perpetual "now" and only reacting to stimulus.
 
JetBlackPanda

JetBlackPanda

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,505
Echo Base
So eventually someone could just download them and watch them? How do I make sure nobody knows what I Fap to in the future?
 

Deleted member 7051

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
14,254
VorpalNonsense said:
So specific cells are tasks with formatting the memories with time relations, neat
That reminds me, I still don't fully understand the physical presence of memory
It always seems to be explained in more conceptual form or in vague reference to regions of the brain
I don't know how that physical arrangement of molecules in my head exists or how that translates into the image of tyler in 2nd grade blaming me for shit i didnt do
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There is no physical presence of memories. It's all just data. I don't think we yet truly understand how the brain really works but, if it helps, you could consider our brains as just one big hard drive with the operating system and files representing our consciousness and memories respectively. Our "operating system" keeps the whole system running and the files tell it how to do certain things. There'll be some files that are far more important than others, like those that explain motor function, that the operating system tries to protect above all others, while our knowledge and talents are also stored as files for when the operating system needs them.

I wouldn't be surprised if, one day, someone was able to create an entirely digital copy of their brain, which is something science fiction has explored several times to usually horrific result.
 
King Kingo

King Kingo

Banned
Dec 3, 2019
7,656
I have maldaptive dreaming so I tend to imagine pretty much most of my life in a cinematic fashion.
 
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