Think of it as being like a Web pointer. There is one Web page (that is, one pattern) for the letter “A,” and all of the Web pages (patterns) for words that include “A” will have a link to the “A” page (to the “A” pattern). Instead of Web links, the neocortex uses actual neural connections. There is an axon from the “A” pattern recognizer that connects to multiple dendrites, one for each word that uses “A.” Keep in mind also the redundancy factor: There is more than one pattern recognizer for the letter “A.” Any of these multiple “A” pattern recognizers can send a signal up to the pattern
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