Surely we’re paying attention in order to read them properly in the first place.. What part of our brain switches on when we actually understand what we read?
In: Biology
Memory is not stored in one part of the brain. The part of the brain that stores how to read a word is not the same part that understands the definition and context of the word, which is different from the part that builds episodic memory of having read the word, which is different from the part of your brain that builds deeper knowledge and connections.
In fact, people with certain kinds of brain damage can remember how to write [without being able to read what they just wrote](https://theconversation.com/alexia-what-happens-when-a-brain-injury-makes-you-forget-how-to-read-43811). Another kind of brain abnormality causes [aphasia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphasia), where you are a perfectly intelligent person but you can’t talk or express yourself through language at all. From that Wikipedia article: “For example, while a person with aphasia, particularly Broca’s aphasia, may not be able to ask a loved one when their birthday is, they may still be able to sing ‘Happy Birthday’.”
The point being that *parts* of your brain have to be paying attention, not *all* of your brain has to be paying attention, particularly the part that builds knowledge and memory. And, frankly, you can [miss a lot of stuff](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo) even when you’re *trying* to pay attention when your mind is preoccupied with other things.
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