Theta waves, which are brain waves that improve memory, can it be artificially induced to help? Prof. Jung so-geun

Recently, when I look at social media, there are videos that say they can enhance your memory. It is said that listening to "theta waves*" improves memory, and although it is thought to be a placebo effect, there are studies that show that theta waves are actually effective in remembering.

Brain waves that help with memory, theta waves

Let's start with brain waves. Brain waves are a measure of the regular activity of various neurons. When it comes to brain waves, you've probably heard of alpha waves, theta waves, gamma waves, and so on. Among them, brain waves of a certain frequency are called theta waves. However, there was a study that showed that the information that was seen when theta waves came out was more memorable. With this in mind, you might be able to come up with an idea of, 'Wouldn't it be better to remember theta waves if they were artificially created?' In fact, artificially inducing theta waves has shown that information is stored better.

The way to induce theta waves is to show a light, to play a sound, or to use both light and sound. Later memory tests showed that he remembered better. However, the results in the lab may be a little different from watching the video at home. Theta waves have been shown to improve memory in lab situations, but this can vary from person to person. This is because the effect may vary depending on how the brain waves are induced, how strong the stimulus is, and how long the stimulus is used.

Dangers of EEG stimulation

And then there's the danger. The stimuli that induce brain waves are those that cause intense flickering of light or periodic sounds. If you have photosensitivity syndrome, there are also some risks that can lead to seizures. That's why I can't say that all kinds of videos and stimuli work and are always good.

How to remember well

First, if you want to remember well, it goes without saying, but when you store information in the first place, you need to be able to process it more deeply. When you're studying, you're not just reading a book, you're thinking while reading. I once had a friend of mine who stayed up until the latest. I mainly studied by underlining reference books. In this case, the memory doesn't last as long as you think. Rather than simply underlining, you can create a more lasting memory by reading and thinking more about what you can apply to it, how does this relate to what you know before?

And if you search on the internet, you won't be able to store it in your memory. Even when we store information, if we know it's stored somewhere else, we don't remember it for long. If you compare the group that was asked to remember certain information in the lab and told some people that they would take the test for later, the first group, which was told that they would be able to review what they had studied, did much worse on the test. I thought I would be able to see the information later, so why bother storing it? As a result, I spend less time studying and don't study deeper.

And when asked how to improve their memory, the most common answer is exercise and sleep. It's like saying that if you want to lose weight, you need to diet and exercise, and if you want to study well, you need to work hard. The importance of exercise has been proven by so many studies. Exercising a lot will help your brain function and help you retain your memory. But sleep is important for a number of reasons. When you're awake, you're constantly exposed to various information, so the information keeps competing with each other, As a result, we forget some information. However, while sleeping, information is retained without interference, so it can remain as a long-lasting memory. Also, when you sleep, there are a lot of things going on in your head. Even while you're sleeping, if you take an image of your brain, you'll see that different areas of the brain are actively doing something. One of them is that your mind plays back what you experienced during the day while you sleep. In doing so, the information experienced before going to bed is systematized and elaborated as nothing unnecessary is removed.

If you tell me that you have to take an exam tomorrow, many of you will stay up all night studying. But better yet, study hard and sleep. However, the exam is next week For such people, I recommend "withdrawal practice". If you study for the same 10 hours, you will remember studying for 3 hours, studying for 1 hour, studying for 3 hours, and taking the exam for 1 hour rather than repeating it over and over again. And one of the most effective ways to study is to explain things to others.Whether you understand it or not, the explanation itself is like retrieving information from your head, elaborating it, and repeating it, making your memory last longer.