Forgetting is part of memory Forgetting, annoying for some and devastating to others, is an integral part of how normal memory

functions. We tend to think of forgetting not as an act or process in itself but simply as what happens to our memories when they are no longer accessible. But, increasingly, forgetting is being studied and thought of as a more active process, perhaps even driven by a specific biological mechanism. How to forget Assuming that a neuro-degenerative condition like Alzheimer's or a head trauma isn't causing memory loss, there are a number of explanations put forward for why we forget stuff. One is natural decay as the information stored degrades over time. Our memory of a birthday party, aged seven, is not as strong now as it was forty years ago. Neuroscientists have studied how information can leave a physical trace in the brain - actual changes in connections between neurons - and perhaps these connections wither over time if not used. One theory proposes that we forget what we've learned because new or old information interferes with it. So something we've learned is superseded by something we learn later, or perhaps conflicts with what we already know and so is discarded. Crudely, there's limited room in our heads and some things have to make room for others. Oh, I know this one, it's on the tip of my, my er Forgetting also plays a part in the tip-of-the-tongue experience, when we're at a loss, usually with mouths gaping, for the right word or phrase. Psychologists have more than one theory for this phenomenon, the most plausible comes from Californian psychologist Deborah Burke, who explains tip of the tongue as a weakening of the link between the conceptual meaning of a word and the memory for how it sounds. So whilst we know what we want to say, we've temporarily forgotten how to say it. Forgotten or just misplaced? Often the failure to retrieve a memory reflects not "forgetting" or loss per se, but the fact that the memory was not well-stored in the first place. Alternatively, forgetting may be a temporary failure of retrieval; in this case, the memory is temporarily unavailable, but may be accessible later. However, mostly it's just that memories simply grow weaker with time; details fall away. Such forgetting is an important component of healthy memory: without some filtering mechanism, our memory would soon become overwhelmed by the details of every piece of information ever experienced, minute by minute. How would you ever remember where you left your keys? Why does grandad keep telling the same stories? It's believed that the older a memory is the harder it is to access, but regular rehearsal or retrieval of a memory dusting it down and taking it for quick spin - can help prevent or delay forgetting. As a result, memories can last for a lifetime with no appreciable loss of detail. In fact people are more likely to embellish a memory the more often they recall it. What happens when you fail to forget? Forgetting is almost as vital as remembering. In fact without the one, we'd have even more trouble than we do with the other. Latest research suggests that some people may have an inability to forget traumatic events and this is what is partially responsible for conditions like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If we're unable to let memories of terrible events fade naturally, how can we move on with our lives? Our culture of counselling has begged the question from some quarters, including British sociologist Frank Furedi, whether talking about our problems is doing more harm than good both to individuals and to society as a whole.
We tend to lament our propensity to forget with age. But the truth is, the only way to remember the vast amount of data we dofrom one's address to a best friend's favorite coloris, paradoxically, to forget. Scientists have only recently begun to understand the importance of forgetting in remembering, says Neil Macrae, Ph.D., an experimental psychologist at the University of Bristol in England. Every time we recall a fact, like where we parked the car, we also unconsciously curb connected but extraneous facts, like where we parked last week. This automaticand crucialphenomenon is known as temporary forgetting. True, the memoryboosting mechanism can backfire. Macrae has found that when cramming for a test, for example, we repress any related facts that we neglected to study, making it harder to recall them on exam day. Still, the ability to remember life's details renders its downsides trivial. Without temporary forgetting, one would be unable to furnish one's telephone number or the name of one's favorite Pink Floyd album.