OUR BREATHING PATTERNS MAY INFLUENCE our ability to form memories. New groundbreaking research suggests the power of the breath. Today we explore the relationship between breath and memory.
I am strongly interested in the breath, including in the realm of mindfulness practices.
I am also learning to use my breathing better to influence the character of a phrase as I practice the piano.
Today, I want to explore the new research findings connecting breathing and memory. But first, a nod to the late Argentinian writer Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (BOR-Hess).
Borges and Memory
Have you read Borge’s wonderful story “Funes the Memorious” in his collection Ficciones? I love the works of the late fabulist.
In his monumental tale of barely 12 pages, Borges plays with the infinite in the context of vast labyrinths of memory.
Borges presents the consequences of having an unlimited capacity to remember.
“Funes the Memorious” shares the vicissitudes of Ireneo Funes, a peasant who, having fallen off his horse and whacking his head, recovers consciousness with the extraordinary skill — or perhaps curse (Pliny the Elder might not understand) — of remembering absolutely everything.
Alas, Funes cannot grasp abstract ideas.
Read it — it’s short.
Breathing
New research reveals how our breathing patterns can augment (or impair) our ability to form memories.
Many of us take breathing for granted. I did, too, until I discovered that holding my breath while playing the piano interfered with successfully painting a phrase the way I wanted.
Do you focus on your breathing?
How We Breath
Our spontaneous, involuntary inhales and exhales are regulated by the medulla oblongata, a critical brain region that manages respiratory functions.
Unlike the cardiac system, respiratory rhythm is not produced by a homogeneous population of pacemaker cells.
The Pre-Bötzinger Complex (PreBötC) — a small cluster of neurons — assumes pivotal importance in respiration. Its foremost function is to generate our inspiratory breathing rhythm.
Have you considered that breathing may directly affect your brain and alter memory traces?
Breathing and Memory
Researchers at Japan’s Hyogo Medical University wondered whether preparation plays an important role during online brain states.
The Japanese team manipulated the PreBötC in genetically engineered mice. Here are their astonishing findings:
When researchers stopped the mice’s breathing , the animals’ capacity to form crucial memories significantly diminished, particularly during object recognition and fear conditioning tasks.
Breathing, Memory, and the Hippocampus
Pauses in breathing affected the activity of the hippocampus, a brain structure central to memory storage and recall.
When the scientists subjected the mice to irregular breathing patterns, the mice experienced improvement in memory.
On the other hand, when researchers slowed the breathing of the mice, the animals’ ability to recall deteriorated.
Are There Real-World Implications?
While the study is fascinating, I would like to know if there are any practical implications. Can I influence my memory with my breathing patterns?
Here is what I discovered:
Deep, controlled breathing, often used in mindfulness practices, can improve working memory capacity, the kind of memory we use to hold and manipulate information over short periods.
Our breath influences our neural activity, impacting our cognitive functions. These functions include attention, memory recall, and emotional processing.
Our breathing rhythm creates brain electrical activity that contributes to the enhancement of memory recall and emotional judgments.
Human Research on Breath and Memory
A study group led by Dr. Christina Zelano at Northwestern University (USA) showed that breathing, specifically through the nose, can directly impact cognitive functions such as memory recall.
Zelano’s research team conducted a series of experiments involving human subjects and found this:
Memory recall was significantly better during inhalation than exhalation. This effect was most pronounced when the subjects were breathing through their noses.
The study showed that the breathing rhythm can induce brain changes, enhancing emotional judgment and improving memory recall.
In addition, the breathing rhythm affects the hippocampus and amygdala — two brain regions linked to emotion, memory function, and smell.
These brain areas are part of the limbic system, which controls emotions and memory. Breathing may modulate the functions of these brain regions, influencing emotional processing and memory.
Other Human Research on Breath and Memory
A study published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology showed that mindfulness-based attention, which involves focusing on one’s breathing, increases the ability to maintain visuospatial information over short periods.
This finding suggests that deep, controlled breathing can improve working memory capacity, the kind of memory we use to hold and manipulate information in our minds over short periods.
Final Thoughts — Breath and Memory
The observation about a breathing and brain connection is not novel.
I use breathing exercises to calm myself. When doing mindfulness meditation, I am focused on my breath. As mentioned, I am trying to better shape my piano phrases with my breath.
I hope I have given you a fresh perspective on breathing and brain function.
The next time you struggle to remember something, take a deep breath. Our breath holds more power over our brains than we might think.
I probably should resume my lapsed mindfulness meditation practice.
Thank you for reading “Breath and Memory.”
