Why do I remember random thoughts?

Evan S

Evan S

Veteran
I was trying to google this to see if I could find anyone that researched this, but I couldn't find anything. So It could be possible that it's just not that important. However, this happens to me quite a bit and I was wondering if anyone has ever experienced the same sort of thing.

For instance, I'll be sitting at my desk, walking, just anything. Then out of no where in my mind will come a seemingly completely unrelated completely random memory of something that may have happened a month or two ago. It's not that anything reminds me of this particular thought or memory and the memory is always at random.

Is this something my brain is doing sub-consciously? Storing information? Deleting information? Maybe it's a "are you sure you want to delete this file?" lol I'm a cyborg. I just find it so odd. What is my brain doing with these thoughts? Defragging?
 
Something triggered it, that happens with me sometimes. Weather actually reminds me of past events. The way the weather is at an exact moment or during a certain month will often take me back to another time when I experienced that same weather and what happened. Then there is music, locations. Just the thought of a place I use to live a long time a go crossing my mind will bring up a lot of memories.
 
Any explanation for having a bad memory at 20? I'm talking, can't remember half of yesterday. Always forgetting things.
 
Ki-Ki said:
Any explanation for having a bad memory at 20? I'm talking, can't remember half of yesterday. Always forgetting things.
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That's only the difference between long term and short term memory. Some people can memorize pi to 40 digits, but can't remember what they had for breakfast. Just the way the mind works, it stores the important information and leaves out the pointless details... if it's pointless to you.

But yeah, things trigger memories for me. Like weather, music, even just the look of a room, a smell, whatever...
 
Smells will throw me back 20 years or so sometimes. There's some fragrance out there that I smell rather rarely. It takes me back to sitting in front of my parents TV in their room playing Super Mario Bros. Just so you know, saying "You smell like Super Mario Bros." to a girl is not advisable. Some people can't take a compliment.
 
Evan S said:
Then out of no where in my mind will come a seemingly completely unrelated completely random memory
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I think it is the randomness of it that Evan is interested in.

Sure smells, weather, situations can trigger memories but he's talking about memories that appear without any known trigger. (perhaps there are subconcious triggers)

I do sometime have this experience and it's usually while sitting at my PC at work. Often I'm momentarily transferred to a better place so maybe it's just subconscious wishful thinking.

Ki-Ki said:
Any explanation for having a bad memory at 20? I'm talking, can't remember half of yesterday. Always forgetting things.
Click to expand...

Recreational drugs? If you do them I'd stop now at least until I had it checked out. Even prescription drugs could cause it. Vitamin B1 deficiency? What about....hey, forgot what I was going to say! Anyway, good luck with it.
 
ZazaCast said:
It's the liquor.:laugh: :beer: :thumbsup: :huh:
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Was going to post a video of a drunken video of me in a Tesco's trolley a couple of year's back. But then I realized this was dvxuser.

Edit - By justice of my typing, I'm not drinking right now, yet.
 
If I were to venture a guess about your random thoughts...

Our human computer brains work through electrical impulses... and most likely, electrical patterns... and my guess is that throughout your life there are very similar patterns that may be "imprinted" on your brain from totally unrelated activities. So when you're doing something that creates a very similar pattern that you had during some other activity... it only takes the tiniest extra input to make the patterns actually match for an instant.

:)

Now c'mon... that sounds pretty damn logical... I'm gonna' vote "yahoo official answer"...
 
damn that was pretty good Mattin.

I think it is the randomness of it that Evan is interested in.

Sure smells, weather, situations can trigger memories but he's talking about memories that appear without any known trigger. (perhaps there are subconcious triggers)

I do sometime have this experience and it's usually while sitting at my PC at work. Often I'm momentarily transferred to a better place so maybe it's just subconscious wishful thinking.
Click to expand...

right on the money, nothing triggers it that I can tell. It's just RANDOM.
 
I suggest writing notes on the details every time it happens. What thoughts you had that preceded it, what you had eaten, where you were, to whom you had spoken, the lighting, any odors, etc. This is in addition to the thought itself, of course. After you've written a few, search for a pattern.
 
As Hawk said, smell triggers many emotions. Also strong emotions are linked to memory. Human nature, evolution. Makes sense right?
I suppose even taste but I don't think taste brings back memories for me as a rule.


I sometimes get those brief memories of little moments and it's a great feeling. Those when your a kid "discovering for the first time" moments, like those puddles of water as the snow thaws during the spring, but it usually only lasts a few seconds. They're rare. Maybe it's smell triggered I've heard. Funny how all that stuff is still stored away somewhere but you can never get to it when you want.

And like John Starr said, music is a great catalyst for memories. In fact, I listen to some songs just to put me back where I was at a certain time. It works.


:beer:
 
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