How often have you found yourself in a situation where a thought that just flashed through your mind suddenly disappeared, leaving you feeling confused? This phenomenon is extremely common and is of great interest to researchers studying the work of the human brain. Fortunately, in recent years, the scientific community has made significant progress in understanding the mechanisms of memory and attention to finally answer the question of why we sometimes forget our own thoughts immediately after they arise. We explain how human memory works and why it plays a key role in perceiving the world, learning, and adapting to the environment.
Contents
- 1 How does human memory work?
- 2 How does the brain manage memories?
- 3 Why do we quickly forget information?
- 4 How do we remember information?
How does human memory work?
Human memory is a complex system that allows us to store, retain, and retrieve information. It is also a fundamental component of cognitive function and helps us perceive the world, learn, and adapt to our environment.
Note that from a scientific point of view, memory can be divided into several types and stages, each of which is characterized by its own characteristics and neural mechanisms. For example, the stages of information processing are called “coding” and represent the process of converting perceived information into neural signals suitable for storage (such as attention and interpretation of stimuli).
Short-term and long-term memory are responsible for preserving encoded information for a certain period of time. At the same time, the process of restoring stored information lies in the origins of cognitive activity.
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The shortest form of memory, which retains information from sensory organs (vision, hearing, touch) for a short time – from fractions of a second to several seconds – is called sensory memory. It, as experts note, allows us to briefly “retain” images and sounds.
Short-term memory holds a limited amount of information for a short period of time (15 to 30 seconds) and is related to the concept of working memory, which involves manipulating and managing information to perform tasks such as problem solving and understanding language.
Long-term memory is responsible for storing information over a long period of time – from a few minutes to a lifetime. It includes episodic memory (personal experiences and events associated with a specific time and place), semantic memory (general knowledge about the world, facts and concepts not tied to a specific experience) and
non-declarative (implicit) memory, which is responsible for instinctive skills and habits.
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How does the brain manage memories?
The key structure for the formation and consolidation of memory, especially episodic memory, responsible for the transfer of information from short-term to long-term memory, is the hippocampus – a paired structure located in the temporal regions of the cerebral hemispheres.
The amygdala is important for emotional memory, as it allows us to remember events with a bright emotional coloring. The basal ganglia and cerebellum, in turn, are involved in non-declarative memory, that is, in procedural skills and motor learning.
Note that frequent repetition of information strengthens synaptic connections and promotes its long-term storage. Sleep (especially slow-wave and rapid-wave sleep) is also important in the process of memory consolidation. As you can see, different areas of the cerebral cortex are responsible for storing and processing information.
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Why Do We Forget Information So Quickly?
Normally, the brain balances countless inputs, thoughts, and actions, but sometimes it experiences something that feels like a short circuit. In such situations, it is important to remember that there are two different types of memory: long-term and working memory.
First, working memory is limited because people typically remember four to seven “chunks” of information, including letters, numbers, words, or phrases. However, instead of being aware of all of these “chunks” at once, the brain switches from one idea to the next.
Second, the brain quickly erases unimportant information from working memory to make room for new information. This means that short-term memories will not be transferred to long-term memory and will soon disappear from conscious thought.
Because the brain can't really multitask, it has to “juggle” different thoughts while our working memory switches between different ideas.
This process requires conscious effort and attention, which is monitored by the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for complex learning, decision-making, and logical reasoning. If attention is focused on only one of these thoughts or is distracted by something new, the brain loses track of previous thoughts, the researchers note.
Note that the brain is especially prone to “switching off” from working memory when we feel sleepy or when we are intoxicated with alcohol or drugs. Age also plays an important role in this process, as working memory peaks in our 20s and declines in middle age.
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How to remember information?
To remember important (and not so important) information, scientists recommend giving up multitasking. In such situations, context can be helpful, since it allows the brain to “return” to working memory for a few seconds and restore the thought before it completely disappears.
For example, a study published in Nature Neuroscience in 2022 showed that working memory capacity can vary depending on individual characteristics and the current state of the brain.
When we overload our working memory with many thoughts or tasks, new thoughts can crowd out old ones, which leads to instant forgetting of what we just thought about, the authors of the scientific work note.
Attention also plays an important role in retaining information in working memory. When it switches to a new stimulus – be it an external distraction or an internal thought – the previous information instantly disappears.
For example, in 2023, researchers from Stanford University found that even short-term distractions, such as a notification on a smartphone, have a significant impact on the ability to retain information in memory.
According to scientists, this is due to the fact that the brain cannot simultaneously concentrate on multiple stimuli with equal efficiency. When a new event attracts our attention, resources are redistributed and previous information may be lost.
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Note that age also affects memory due to the natural decline in cognitive functions. Fortunately, the results of numerous scientific studies have shown that brain training and maintaining an active lifestyle can significantly slow down these processes.
Instant forgetting of thoughts is a complex phenomenon caused by many factors, including limited working memory capacity, executive functions and cognitive load, as well as age and individual characteristics. Modern scientific research continues to reveal the intricacies of the human brain, allowing us to better understand the causes of this phenomenon.