: How do we forget something easily even if we try to remember it as hard as we can, but the same thing comes to our mind when we are not even thinking about it?
In:
Lucky you , I was teaching some 6th graders about this last week.
So memory has three parts : encoding (putting the memory in your brain), storage (having that memory in a specific area), and retrieval (getting that memory back)
Most memory issues start at the start [encoding] because we aren’t paying ATTENTION. but you aren’t talking about that even though ATTENTION is the most important thing about memory. You want to know even if we pay ATTENTION, why can we still not remember it as well as something we supposedly didn’t pay ATTENTION to.
Well /that/ comes to [storage]. Have you ever made a word map? Where you write a word, circle it, and then connect a few words that are related to that, circle each of those and repeat the process with them? {I.e. (boat)–(water)–(fish)–(bass)–(guitar)} that’s how our brain kinda works . You take a memory and it becomes connected to related things. So if you think of those related things we can get to the memory. {Think trying to remember someone’s name and going: “oh it’s the same name as that girl who fell down that rabbit hole…. ALICE}
Memories are always connected. When we actively try to give it more connections thats called mnemonics. {Making acronyms, initialisms, songs, etc. } The best memories in the world use things like the peg system or the method of loci.
But sometimes the memory is already connected to a bunch of stuff. I remember the number of Pokémon in the first generation without effort because I have loads of memories connected to it {playing with the cards, watching the show, doing the rap, etc.} So really the foundation was already laid.
Alternatively it could just have been very intense and Thus the mind kind of burns it into your mind like a flash bulb.
TL;Dr Usually it’s cause you don’t pay attention but how you store that memory is important too. The more memories you have related to the thing the easier it is to remember it.
/r/Iamverysmart subscriber here.
Inside your mind, there’s neurons and pathways connecting them.
Let’s think of the neurons as trees; and pathways as pathways in that forest.
Your train of thought is as if you’re looking at a giant redwood tree, taking your time, studying the detail. You decide to wander, glancing at the plants all around. Then you notice a strange tree. It has three trunks that twist and weave into itself in a complex pattern. It’s not very tall though, and quite thin. You’ve never ever seen a tree like this before and immediately think there’s no way you’ll ever forget it. After a moment you continue down another path. A few paces later you want to look at the twisted tree again but when you look around it’s gone. You know it was not very tall but you can’t remember any more detail about it. So you begin running back down the path you came, frantically scanning, hoping to see it, until you are back at the giant redwood. Then you stop. You’re sure that you saw it after the redwood but as you look into the dense forest you feel defeated knowing you’re probably not gonna be able to find it again.
Psych major here.
Your mind isn’t organised in the systematic way that we usually organise things, like by clear categories, alphabetically, by size, etc.
It organises itself by association to other things, so the only way to find the memory is to trace the string of associations. When we deliberately try to remember something, we use strategies that we’re used to, but it’s not necessarily the way the brain actually organises it.
But when we go about your day normally, our brain does things by association naturally, and might just remember it. Also, your brain probably will just encounter it by chance and it just seems significant to you only because you tried to retrieve out recently. You probably remember a lot of things you didn’t find significant as well.
Here’s the ELI5:
You’re trying to find a needle in a haystack. You start doing so by systematically inspecting the straws one at a time but you eventually give up because you can’t find the needle.
Later that day, you’re going about your work and you step on the haystack and find the needle in your foot.
Related to this: Why is it that when I have a great idea, I’m convinced there’s no possible way I could forget it? So I don’t write it down and of course I forget it.
some of the answers so far do a good job of explaining how memory generally works. unfortunately i don’t think any of them take the next step and successfully answer the OP’s question, which I’m guessing (I’m by no means an expert but psych BA and lifelong follower of cog sci) has to do with conscious vs unconscious recall. it would be great if someone who is an expert could address that part of the question.
I think it’s the opposite of deja vu called jamais vu (or presque vu) idk but vsauce made a video explaining it.
Basically the harder you try to remember something your brain will try to focus on a certain things by blocking other information but instead ended up blocking the thing that you actually want to remember. When you stop thinking about it, the brain will stop blocking information and that thing you want to remember will usually come back.
So most of the time if im experiencing this i’d try to distract myself from the thought, which is counter-intuitive but it often works
Because your mind can find things better then your focused connciosness. Mind is all inclusive, connciosness is a singular point.
If you think about it a lot and can’t forget it, it probably means that you should remember that, not that you make the same mistake.
Latest Answers