Just as muscles are primed during a warm-up for anticipated events, activating the brain for a learning task is equally critical. This piece dives deep into the intricacies of the hippocampus, a key player in learning and memory, and how mindfulness can potentially optimize its functioning.
Read more: How Mindfulness & the Hippocampus Enhance MemoryUnveiling the Role of the Hippocampus in Memory:
The hippocampus, a seahorse-shaped region in the brain, stands as the linchpin for learning and memory. A groundbreaking study at the University of California scrutinized the brains of epilepsy patients. They were tasked with memorizing a set of words while the activity of the neurons in the hippocampus was monitored. These neurons connect using electric currents. When the rate of these currents was already high before patients viewed the words, they were significantly better at encoding and later recalling them. Researcher Zhisen Urgolites suggests that the hippocampus has a “ready-to-encode” mode, aiding memory retention. Conversely, if the hippocampus neurons are “quiet,” new information might be poorly encoded and subsequently forgotten.
Seeking the “Ready-to-Encode” Brain Mode:
The pressing question is how to activate this “ready-to-encode” mode on demand. John Wixtec, a psychology professor at UC San Diego, hints at the intriguing possibility of deliberately priming the brain for better memory encoding based on previous studies. Summarizing the researchers’ consensus: new memories form through a select collection of active neurons, grouping into a singular memory. Higher neuron activity levels before memory encoding lead to enhanced recall.
The Influence of “The Last Dance” and Coach Phil Jackson:
Sports enthusiasts were riveted by “The Last Dance” on Netflix, chronicling the journey of the 90s’ Chicago Bulls. A significant aspect of this journey was Coach Phil Jackson. Inspired by the series, I explored Jackson’s book, “Eleven Rings.” Jackson candidly elaborates on handling diverse player personalities and his firm belief in mindfulness. A deep dive into his discussion with Oprah can be viewed here.
Mindfulness, Meditation, and the Brain:
Research indicates meditators possess more grey matter in various brain regions, instrumental in processing information. Growth was observed in the insula, responsible for sensory perception, and the prefrontal cortex, associated with working memory and decision-making. Anna Lardone’s study highlighted mindfulness’s long-term changes in the resting state of the hippocampus. Meditators showed significantly higher node connections in the hippocampus compared to a control group.
While I lack concrete evidence that mindfulness accelerates neuron firing in the hippocampus for faster memory formation, I’ve formed a hypothesis by correlating various scientific studies. Jackson’s “The Eleven Rings” explicitly details his meditation practices. Urging his players to meditate – even if briefly before or after training – he found that mindfulness meditation, rooted in Buddhism, is a readily accessible technique to calm a restless mind. Especially beneficial for basketball players, who often need to make split-second decisions under intense pressure. Jackson realized synchronized breathing in silence helped players connect non-verbally far more effectively than words.
Source
Zhisen J. Urgolites et al., “Spiking activity in the human hippocampus prior to encoding predicts subsequent memory,” PNAS (2020). Link.