Chaotic Dynamics, Episodic Memory, and Self-identity

Abstract

The hippocampus has been considered responsible for the formation of episodic memory. It has also been pointed out that the hippocampus plays an important role in imagination, which is related to future events. The fact that atrophy of the hippocampus could lead to Alzheimer’s disease implies that the network structure of the hippocampus may provide fields for the creation of internal time corresponding to the past, present, and future. We present a hypothesis that the hippocampus plays a role in the formation of self-identity via interactions with the lateral prefrontal cortex.