Memory is all immaterial information. But very different types of information. Researchers found that the cerebellum handles a lot of emotional memory
We use the same word “memory” to mean very different types of things. There’s the new phone number, in which we have no emotional investment. Then there’s the smell of cinnamon buns from a long-ago home-town bakery, which is a non-shareable emotional investment. And again, there’s a colleague’s advice about addressing a difficult client’s needs… that’s a mixture of a number of different types of memory, in getting the right approach down pat.
All memory is immaterial information, of very different types. And a team of researchers finds that our brains’ cerebellum handles a lot of emotional memory.
At least neuroscience is past the “lizard brain” theory and all that.
Takehome: If a number of brain regions are affected by traumatic memories, recovery may be prolonged. “Aw, get OVER it!” will be even less useful advice.
You may also wish to read: A little-known structure tells our brains what matters now. Work with monkeys and mice has shed light on the filtering role of a neglected feature of the mammalian brain. The cuneate nucleus (CN) in the brain stem turns out to communicate regularly with your prefrontal cortex and spine as to what you had better notice.