wasnt sure where to post this but..

you know how smells can trigger memories? well i was thinking of securing something with a somewhat unique smell to my upper lip and listen to an audio book or something while i sleep.

then a couple days later, smell it again to see if i remember it.


what are your thoughts? also, any suggestions on how to secure the smelly thing to my lip or any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

It could possibly work, but i suppose it depends on what your listening too/what smells. Otherwise when you wake up and smell it you'll think of sleeping :)

Also the volume would have to be right, the smell couldnt be offensive or too pleasant(something unique and memorable)

I actually read an article on learning whilst asleep not to long ago, in a SCI AM mind mag. Their conclusion was that its basically BS. Cool idea though man, i like the way your thinking.

i thought learning in your sleep was a hoax

Hust as your brain protects you from your memories when you're awake, your senses are ignored in kind of the same way when you sleep.

For example: When you think of a lion, you don't tremble in fear and run do you? No, you know it's just a memory.

TL;DR YOU CAN'T LEARN WHILE YOU SLEEP. Maybe process some memories, but there is nothing really added.

There might be nothing added, but there can be something gained.
Even the processing and connecting of memories and facts can result in you knowing something when you wake up that you didn't the night before.

But I think that smell works with emotional rather than factual memory, so it might not work with book-learning.

Cool idea though.

Hust as your brain protects you from your memories when you're awake, your senses are ignored in kind of the same way when you sleep.

For example: When you think of a lion, you don't tremble in fear and run do you? No, you know it's just a memory.

TL;DR YOU CAN'T LEARN WHILE YOU SLEEP. Maybe process some memories, but there is nothing really added.
Not true.
Everyone un read this post.

For example: When you think of a lion, you don't tremble in fear and run do you? No, you know it's just a memory.



but when you think of your pet kitten, you would be overcome by happy thoughts just as if it were with you

I fall asleep listening to audiobooks all the time (by accident) and never remember shit. "I have no mouth and I must scream" did give me a nightmare though.

wasnt sure where to post this but.

Feel free to post just about anything in MS, Lab Tips is soaking up too much of our content anyway

i think consciously learning something new and going to sleep straight after helps you remember it better.

Not true.
Everyone un read this post.

Everyone un read this post.

I have never read anything that shows you can learn in your sleep in the way the OP suggests. It *has* been shown to help consolidate memories and learning gained while conscious, which is why it's important to sleep well after studying (besides the fact that being tired lowers cognitive functioning).

what are your thoughts?

I have a feeling the fact alone that you spent this much time contemplating how to store the memory, you won't need the olfactory jog.

Purposive, systematic synesthesia is an interesting concept though. In AP Bio I was assigned organic functional groups to memmorize so I encoded them all in a guitar chord progression in hopes that I could mentally replay the tune and recall the functional group. It didn't really require my doing so, but it was fun.