Muscle Memory 1

[bwaites]

Balance is perhaps the ultimate in muscle memory. It requires instantaneous and recurrent feedback from muscles to the brain and from the balance center in the brain to the muscles. As adults we have learned to perceive certain cues as more important than others, such as vision vs inner ear. As children, we are easily made dizzy by simply spinning us on a merry go round. As adults, our brain accepts visual clues as more important than those made by our inner ear regarding spacial orientation, and we ignore that spinning middle ear and take the visual cues. It is what allows gymnasts, ice skaters, dancers, etc. to spin dozens of times without becoming dizzy. However, take away visual cues, and we are easily discombobulated. Put adults in dark rooms, and they have a much more difficult time than children do in finding there way out. The longer adults are without sight, the more difficult things become, until we learn to rely on our middle ear again for balance, and for most of us that takes a long time.