On Humans Inside the Brain: A Journey Through the Halls and the Songs of Consciousness ~ Pria Anand
Sep 17, 2025
Join neurologist Pria Anand, author of The Mind Electric, as she dives deep into the intricacies of consciousness and the brain’s architecture. Anand reveals the musicality of sleep and the mysteries of REM and slow-wave sleep. She discusses the fascinating implications of seizures and how the split-brain findings illustrate the left hemisphere’s role in storytelling. Explore the nuanced relationship between memory and pain as she sheds light on the emotional capacities of the cerebellum. A captivating mix of science and humanity awaits!
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REM Sleep Is Paradoxical And Protective
- REM sleep is paradoxical: the brain looks awake while the body is paralyzed during vivid dreaming.
- This REM atonia protects us from acting out dreams and its loss links to Parkinson's and dementia.
REM Sleep Might Help Forget To Find Meaning
- REM may function to prune irrelevant experiences and help brains form meaningful connections.
- Priya Anand favors the idea that REM helps forget what the brain decides is unnecessary.
Deep Sleep Shows Slow, Distinct Brain Waves
- Slow-wave (deep) sleep shows large, slow EEG oscillations unlike REM or wakefulness.
- Slow-wave sleep supports different processes and lacks REM-like reportable dream content.
