how can our brains remember that we forgot something, but it can’t remember what we forgot?

Question

how can our brains remember that we forgot something, but it can’t remember what we forgot?

In: Other

Answer 1

ELI5 – as my psyche dept head put it:

“The memories in the brain are more like clues than a film or video tape. Your brain uses them to reconstruct your memories.”

So there will come a time when a “clue” is missing because it hasn’t been used in a long time, you’re tired, you went on a bender at da club and the Henny got the better of you etc.

Your brain sees that there was a strong emotion tied to a clue but the rest of the chain is broken so it’s all “STUFF IS MISSING”.

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If you are lucky, later another stimuli will re-spark the chain and your brain will make another connection and you will go “AH HA!” and remember.