A recent study published in the journal nature has revealed that the human brain has the remarkable ability to recognize and process patterns in real time without the involvement of consciousness. Researchers discovered that key areas of the brain combine information about events to identify hidden patterns, allowing the brain to predict future events even without the individual being aware of the process.
Led by neurobiologist Edward Moser from the University of Norwegian Science and Technology, a group of scientists conducted a study on individuals with epilepsy who had electrodes implanted in their brain tissue for surgical treatment. By directly recording the activity of individual neurons in areas such as the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, responsible for memory and spatial navigation, researchers found neurons that encode time and location, acting as an “internal watch” and “GPS” within the body.
Participants in the experiment were shown images of various individuals, with scientists identifying specific neurons in the participants’ brains that reacted strongly to particular images. Each participant had six images linked in a triangle formation, where each image was connected to two neighboring sides of the triangle by a specific neuron. The sequence of images shown to the participants followed a hidden rule, unbeknownst to them, with questions asked to divert their attention during the viewing.
Despite the participants’ inability to consciously identify any patterns in the image sequence, their brains began to recognize the relationships between images. Neurons in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex responded not only to the current image but also to previously shown images related to it, demonstrating the brain’s capacity to learn and retain intricate connections independently of consciousness.