That’s what researchers from the Manchester Metropolitan University in England have found when you move your eyes horizontally from side-to-side for 30 seconds.
Horizontal eye movements are thought to cause the two hemispheres of the brain to interact more with one another, and communication between brain hemispheres is important for retrieving certain types of memories.
The study began with college students listening to recordings of a male voice reading out 20 lists of 15 words. Some of the lists converged around a “lure” word that wasn’t read out. After listening to the lists, a third of these students followed a computer prompt to move their eyes side-to-side for 30 seconds, another third did the same with up-to-down eye movements, while the final third did nothing.
The results? Those who did the side-side eye movement remembered more than 10 percent more words, and falsely recognized about 15 percent fewer “lure” words, compared to those who moved their eyes up and down or did nothing.
Source: “Moving Your Eyes Improves Memory, Study Suggests” Live Science, 25 April 2007
Chapter: Health :: 25 February 2008
