How does the hippocampus hand a memory over to the cortex? · Grey Matter

During an experience each feature is processed where it belongs (the face in visual cortex, the voice in auditory cortex, the feeling through the amygdala), and the hippocampus stores a compact index of which cortical patterns were active together.

How does the hippocampus hand a memory over to the cortex?

During an experience each feature is processed where it belongs (the face in visual cortex, the voice in auditory cortex, the feeling through the amygdala), and the hippocampus stores a compact index of which cortical patterns were active together. When a cue later reactivates the index, it reactivates the whole cortical pattern, and that is recall. Every reactivation, in waking rest and above all in sleep, also strengthens the direct links between the cortical pieces themselves. After weeks to years many memories can be retrieved from the cortex alone, the way a book can be found on its shelf once the librarian's card is no longer needed.