Why don’t we remember what we forgot, even when we realize we forgot something?

You are about to leave the house and you realize you forgot something. First you check your bag and count the contents and say “what’s in it but something is missing” and look around one last time. But you don’t realize what you forgot and you leave the house and sometimes that thing comes to mind half way through must go back you stay. This scene also sounds familiar to you, right?

To first understand why this scene happened how information is stored in our brain You must know about.

Our memories are stored in our long-term memory.

When it comes to memory, it is often thought that there is only one memory, but scientists working on information processing processes actually include “sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory.” three different types of memory he is talking about.

According to the research our sensory memory It has unlimited capacity. Everything we perceive from our environment is recorded here. But incoming information is quickly lost if it is not processed. When information is processed here, it passes into short-term memory.

short-term memory On the other hand, it has passed the filter of attention and perception in sensory memory and receives the processed information. However, this memory is not as long-lasting as the name suggests. After being held here for about 20-30 seconds, some of the information is transferred to long-term memory. There are two methods used to extend the duration of short-term memory: repetition and grouping.

Here, let us give you another bonus information on the subject right away. Most people information between 5 and 9 keep them in mind. Therefore, they remember numbers by grouping them. Remember how you memorized your TR ID number and phone number. That’s the job of your short-term memory.

Our long-term memory is the last stop of our information. The capacity is almost unlimited. Our whole life takes place here. This memory is also divided into three: semantic (semantic) memory, episodic (episodic) memory and procedural memory. Although we will not go into detail here, their names show what they are more or less related to.

There are several reasons why things can slip out of our heads.

While the causes of forgetfulness can be different for each person, experts have found some common causes. Lack of attention Let’s start with. Researchers working on the topic indicate that you are more likely to forget information that you have not paid attention to. Other reasons to forget stress, fatigue, lack of sleep It is thought that there may be temporary factors such as medication or drug use.

Contrary to the above reasons, sometimes the brain is just encodes new information onto old information Old knowledge may have been forgotten. Your brain can categorize the information you don’t use for a long time as unimportant and put it on the dusty shelves of the archive. Even if you cannot associate the information you receive with your existing information, there is a chance that the information will be forgotten.

According to these studies, the brain a house with many rooms and shelves You can think like. If you leave the information in the hall and not put it in the relevant room and shelf, the information will be lost. But if you put it in the appropriate room and shelf, you can remember it for a long time. You do this by associating them with previous information and making connections between them.

Now that we’ve explained the processes of memory and forgetting, let’s go back to our original question: why can’t we remember what we’ve forgotten?

Let’s go back to when you were about to walk out the door. You notice that something is missing. Let’s back that up a little bit first. Two of the ways information is stored in memory are it was repetition and coding is it not? So what actually happened is that the brain was stimulated and the memory process started when you decided to go. But this process has been stopped because there is not enough stimulation. The information is there, in that room, on that shelf, waiting for you. But you forgot the way to that room. Because the information remained in short-term memory and was forgotten in a short time because there was no recoding.

There may also be other reasons. For example deficiency of vitamin B12 It can also make you forget. Looking at what psychoanalysis says on the subject, Sigmund Freud explains such events in his book “Psychopathology of Everyday Life” as follows: If you subconsciously think something could be dangerous for you, you have trouble remembering the information. to remind. .

Here are a few things you can do to make this situation less common:

While the experts talking about the subject mention that it is easier to remember by thinking about that thing and repeating things that may be related to it, the suggestions below are: reduce forgetfulness They say it could work right now:

• Take notes You can make it a habit. When certain things like things to do are noted down and checking this list becomes a habit, the number of such situations can be reduced.
• You can have your blood values ​​checked regularly.
• You can try to stay away from a stressful life.
• Information again and with good coding remember it.