Memory, retention and forgetfulness are very strange phenomenon. What we remember and forget is hardly our choice. We do not get to decide what stays or leaves the brain. According to scientists, there are different kinds of memory and the brain has a unique way of forgetting each one. Upon studying forgetfulness at the very basic and cellular level, researchers found out the following phenomenon, which caused forgetfulness:
Defining the space of memories
It is quite common with many people that they would enter a room not remembering why they had come there in the first place. Scientists through the concepts of organizing and compartmentalization have explained this phenomenon. Researchers believe that memory is limited unless it is expanded through mental exercises.
Hence when a person leaves one environment (one scenery/room) much of the memory associated with that room disappears. Location of certain objects might also be forgotten in this case.
Therefore, when a new room is entered, there are chances that the purpose that had been thought of in the previous room might have been forgotten. This can be considered as the mind's way of organizing memories within a timeline.
Thought fog
There are times when certain activities can fog over a complete memory. That particular event can hardly be recalled then after. It is called as transient global amnesia and it can be caused due to many reasons including activities involving extensive dopamine release. Hence, when a person is either drugged or naturally too happy, it is possible to only remember the particular happy thought and create a fog over every other activity going around. In addition to that, the amnesia can also be caused due to a heavy shock from an event, after which remembering anything besides the particular shocking memory can be difficult.
Infancy
People often do not remember their oldest childhood memories. They can hardly remember anything before the age of 3-4. This is common and is very normal. The process is called Infantile Amnesia. Initially, the researchers thought that children did have memories of that age, but they were unable to retrieve them. However, recently it has been found that, in the initial years, the brain does store data, but that is soon forgotten by a deliberate mechanism.
Brain damage and heavy neuro-injuries
Damage to the parts of the brain that handles memories can also cause problems with its formation, keeping and retention. Such injuries or damages can result in a number of types of amnesia. There are reported cases where a person totally loses the memory, or cases where people are not even able to create any new memories.
