Fundamental Focus

Why do our senses, and memory access, focus on specifics?

When we pay attention to our surroundings, we seem to focus on a small quantity of information, compared to the massive amount being input through our sensory perception. And when we use our minds to consciously think about anything in particular, or try to remember something, we seem to only access a small portion of our memories at any given time, compared to the vast quantity of data stored in our brains. Is there a benefit or requirement in the function of focusing on a smaller set of data? or else, why not access more data at once?

There is a connection between focus of senses and memories. When our senses focus on particular measurements they are receiving, it seems the measurements are saved more accurately as memory. Sensory focus itself does not seem to require conscious attention, since any animal can focus on a certain sense, without being consciously aware of that which it is focusing on. For eg, a deer can focus its hearing on certain rustles in the leaves, while ignoring the sounds of a creek, as perhaps its instinct is to naturally have alertfulness to that sound of leaves, for danger of a predator stalking it. But in this case, if focus on that particular sound, causes accuracy of saved memory, then that sound can be more accurately recognized in the future, to allow more accurate subconscious reactions to that sound, such as more effectively being ready to run from the predator.

The reason that focus increases accuracy in memory recordings, seems to be; creating an accurate neural set for measurements of more particular factors. For a brain to create a neural combination set which represents a particular factor, it needs focused measurements. Without focus on a certain measurements, all the other data being input would be included. For eg, if you see a bird on a tree in a forest, without focus on the bird, your memory would save everything within vision, including the trees and branches and leaves (as a neural combo representing all the lightwave measurements). But if you focus on the bird, the visual measurements of the background can be diluted out, to save only the measurements of the bird, as a separate neural combo. With a more accurately separate neural combo for just the bird, your memory will recognize that same combo easier, in the future, when another bird is sighted and similar measurements are input.

Accessing focused memories, seems it may have a similar relevant function, as focused senses. Focusing on a particular neural combo, which represents a memory, is what causes the significance and function of memory. I further explained neural combos and their relation to memory, in a post from last month; Conscious Neural Combo. If a brain always simultaneously accesses neurons representing memories of many factors, then the measurements which are recalled, are all combined, meaning measurements of each factor is inaccurately distinct from other factors. Accessing neural combos for only 1 factor, causes a distinct recollection of measurements for that factor. In all, the only way a memory is significant, is that it is represented by a certain combo of neurons, rather than an indistinct mass of neurons. 

Focusing on specific neural combos, causes recognition, and also causes that combo to be easier to access in the future, due to ease of flow of electrical signal to that particular combo. When it comes to conscious thought and learning, this concept is relevant because we create new macro neural combinations, via ease of electrical flow. We can focus on certain factors (represented by a neural combo), then through memory of that factors’ interaction with another factor, we create a macro neural combination. With ease of flow from memory of 1 factor to another, and how factors interact, comes the larger combination of how 1 thing causes the effect of another. Building these macro combos, is virtually building intellect, comprehension, and understanding. 

Based on the memory system which brains use, it seems that saving memories via sensory input, recalling memories, and conscious comprehension, all function Fundamentally, on Focus.