Three time scales in which Voluntary Mental Activity -> Changes in Brain for optimizing cognitive tasks.
1. Short period: 10-15 minutes, Priming (e.g., before math class begins, preliminary mental exercises with times tables); naturally altering neurochemical balance to optimize performance in a math class.
2. Intermediate period : ~hours, Mastery (e.g., visualization of a motor task); strengthening the associated mirror neural connections (in the left hemisphere?) & coating them with myelin.
3. Long period: ~years, Automatic behavior -> Establish personality (e.g., assigned responsibility as child -> become responsible mature person); as mature person, prefrontal cortex automatically assigns tasks to well-established neural circuits in the left hemisphere.
I am speculating left hemisphere, because it is normally associated with routine tasks, as opposed to right hemisphere which is normally associated with dealing with new or novel tasks. I would welcome any opinions on this point.
Wouldn't both hemispheres be establishing memories, but of different types?
I expect so. I would expect the the r.h. would have memories of a "fuzzy" type. And the l.h. of an algorithmic/logical type.
The fuzzy type would be useful, as references to be used for future searches for analogies/similarities when trying to adapt to a new circumstance. The algorithmic/logical type would be useful for rapid, efficient, or automatic reactions or processing of a well-practiced routine.
I have always assumed that the left hemisphere processed memories essentially sequentially and the right categorically. My wife can relate the script of an entire movie, whereas I can only say how I felt about it or general conclusions I made.
What you say is essentially the same as what I have said: Logical processing is basically sequential; and general conclusions are fuzzy impressions you are left with.
My own "hypothesis" is that there are essentially two processes going on, left and right. The "fuzzy impressions" are the conceptional conclusions you get, usually thought of as "intuition" and often ignored in favor of more socially acceptable left brain decisions. Many of our psychological problems may be caused by hemisphere conflicts.
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