when you try to remember something, you often see/feel what it is for a second, then forget it again. How can your brain know the answer and ‘suggest’ it to you before you actually remember it?

Question

It often happens to most people: sometimes you have something on the tip of your tongue, and at times you almost remember it, but not fully. It’s almost like you can see the answer, but it fades away almost instantly and you often only remember the thing durably later.

How does it work, and why does your brain struggle to make the thought emerge clearly? I mean, either your brain knows it, or doesn’t, but it almost feels like a different person giving you hints without telling you the answer…

Hope this is clear, thanks in advance! : )

In: 25

Answer 1

We don’t really know very well how the brain works, so we don’t know the answer. Other people here will type a bunch of words suggesting some sort of answer, but they’re all vague guesses.