# How your brain forms a memory

> A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv21nn4m000hl20693tjrn8s
> It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data.

## Summary

- 12 steps across 2 layers
- Persona: Your senses, Hippocampus, Cortex, Sleep

## Pain points

Where this process hurts, worst first:

- **Each time you recall it, you rebuild it** (How your brain forms a memory; painful): Recalled memories can be changed, so they are not perfect recordings

## How to read this file

- A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps.
- **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step.
- Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`.

## How your brain forms a memory

Lanes:
- Your senses: person / role (id `sense`)
- Hippocampus: person / role (id `hippo`)
- Cortex: person / role (id `cortex`)
- Sleep: person / role (id `sleep`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **You experience something** [start; Your senses; id `m1`]
   - then Is it new, emotional or repeated?
2. **Is it new, emotional or repeated?** [decision; Your senses; id `m2`]
   - if "Yes" go to Neurons fire together and the hippocampus tags it as worth keeping; if "No" go to It fades within seconds or minutes
3. **Neurons fire together and the hippocampus tags it as worth keeping** [subprocess; Hippocampus; id `m3`], opens the detail layer "Neurons that fire together wire together"
   - then The memory is held in short term storage
4. **The memory is held in short term storage** [task; Hippocampus; id `m4`]
   - then Sleep replays the day and moves memories to long term storage
5. **Sleep replays the day and moves memories to long term storage** [subprocess; Sleep; id `m5`], links to the published process "What happens in your body when you sleep" (https://forks.world/p/cmv21nmlt000cl206lsp3u9ka; full text at https://forks.world/api/public/cmv21nmlt000cl206lsp3u9ka/export)
   - then The memory is spread across the cortex
6. **The memory is spread across the cortex** [task; Cortex; id `m6`]
   - then Each time you recall it, you rebuild it
7. **Each time you recall it, you rebuild it** [task; Cortex; id `m7`] ⚠ PAIN POINT (painful): Recalled memories can be changed, so they are not perfect recordings
   - then The memory gets stronger or drifts
8. **The memory gets stronger or drifts** [end; Cortex; id `m8`]
9. **It fades within seconds or minutes** [end; Your senses; id `m9`]

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_sense["Your senses"]
    n_m1(["You experience something"])
    n_m2{"Is it new, emotional or repeated?"}
    n_m9(["It fades within seconds or minutes"])
  end
  subgraph l_hippo["Hippocampus"]
    n_m3[["Neurons fire together and the hippocampus tags it as worth keeping"]]
    n_m4["The memory is held in short term storage"]
  end
  subgraph l_cortex["Cortex"]
    n_m6["The memory is spread across the cortex"]
    n_m7["Each time you recall it, you rebuild it"]
    n_m8(["The memory gets stronger or drifts"])
  end
  subgraph l_sleep["Sleep"]
    n_m5[["Sleep replays the day and moves memories to long term storage"]]
  end
  n_m1 --> n_m2
  n_m2 -->|"Yes"| n_m3
  n_m2 -->|"No"| n_m9
  n_m3 --> n_m4
  n_m4 --> n_m5
  n_m5 --> n_m6
  n_m6 --> n_m7
  n_m7 --> n_m8
```

### Neurons that fire together wire together (detail of step "Neurons fire together and the hippocampus tags it as worth keeping")

Lanes:
- Hippocampus: person / role (id `hippo`)
- Cortex: person / role (id `cortex`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **Two neurons are active at the same time** [start; Hippocampus; id `n1`]
   - then The connection between them releases more signal
2. **The connection between them releases more signal** [task; Hippocampus; id `n2`]
   - then New receptors grow, so the link is stronger next time
3. **New receptors grow, so the link is stronger next time** [end; Cortex; id `n3`]

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_hippo["Hippocampus"]
    n_n1(["Two neurons are active at the same time"])
    n_n2["The connection between them releases more signal"]
  end
  subgraph l_cortex["Cortex"]
    n_n3(["New receptors grow, so the link is stronger next time"])
  end
  n_n1 --> n_n2
  n_n2 --> n_n3
```

## Full data (JSON)

```json
{
  "title": "How your brain forms a memory",
  "maps": {
    "m_root": {
      "id": "m_root",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "sense",
          "name": "Your senses",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "hippo",
          "name": "Hippocampus",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "cortex",
          "name": "Cortex",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "sleep",
          "name": "Sleep",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "m1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "sense",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "m2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "You experience something"
        },
        {
          "id": "m2",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "sense",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "m3",
              "label": "Yes"
            },
            {
              "to": "m9",
              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Is it new, emotional or repeated?"
        },
        {
          "id": "m3",
          "kind": "subprocess",
          "lane": "hippo",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "m4"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "child": "m_wire",
          "label": "Neurons fire together and the hippocampus tags it as worth keeping"
        },
        {
          "id": "m4",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "hippo",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "m5"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The memory is held in short term storage"
        },
        {
          "id": "m5",
          "kind": "subprocess",
          "lane": "sleep",
          "link": {
            "id": "cmv21nmlt000cl206lsp3u9ka",
            "scope": "public",
            "title": "What happens in your body when you sleep"
          },
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "m6"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Sleep replays the day and moves memories to long term storage"
        },
        {
          "id": "m6",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "cortex",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "m7"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The memory is spread across the cortex"
        },
        {
          "id": "m7",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "cortex",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "m8"
            }
          ],
          "pain": {
            "note": "Recalled memories can be changed, so they are not perfect recordings",
            "level": 2
          },
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Each time you recall it, you rebuild it"
        },
        {
          "id": "m8",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "cortex",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The memory gets stronger or drifts"
        },
        {
          "id": "m9",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "sense",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "It fades within seconds or minutes"
        }
      ],
      "title": "How your brain forms a memory",
      "parent": null
    },
    "m_wire": {
      "id": "m_wire",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "hippo",
          "name": "Hippocampus",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "cortex",
          "name": "Cortex",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "n1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "hippo",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "n2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Two neurons are active at the same time"
        },
        {
          "id": "n2",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "hippo",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "n3"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The connection between them releases more signal"
        },
        {
          "id": "n3",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "cortex",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "New receptors grow, so the link is stronger next time"
        }
      ],
      "title": "Neurons that fire together wire together",
      "parent": {
        "map": "m_root",
        "step": "m3"
      }
    }
  }
}
```