Whether it’s where you left your keys or why you walked into a room, there are often times when our memory fails us.
But if you find yourself with questions on a regular basis, you’ll be happy to know that help is available.
A Cambridge scientist has revealed his ingenious memory trick – and it’s deceptively simple.
According to Professor Jon Simons, actively trying to remember something can prevent the memory from being retrieved.
Instead, he advises thinking about something else or finding a way to relax so memories can be recalled.
Whether it’s where you left your keys or why you walked into a room, there are often times when our memory fails us. But if you’re often left scratching your head, you’ll be glad to know that help is at hand (stock image)
The head of the University of Cambridge’s memory lab explained his memory trick on the Rosebud Podcast.
“When we really try to remember something, we often block the memory by that effort,” he explains.
‘And only when the effort we have made gradually decreases and we perhaps start thinking about other things or simply relax, can the memory be retrieved again.’
In the podcast, host Gyles Brandreth talked about a moment when he remembered the name of someone he had last thought about 55 years ago.
According to Professor Jon Simons, actively trying to remember something, like where you last saw your phone, can prevent the memory from being retrieved (stock image)
Professor Simons responded: ‘The phenomenon you describe, the feeling of the tip of your tongue that you probably had, that you know is there but you can’t remember, is a very common feeling that we all experience from time to time.
‘That – the feeling of knowing it was in there – suggests that it was one of those memories that had somehow defied time and that you remembered.
‘And that’s what happens. It’s interesting how often you can puzzle over something and puzzle over it and puzzle over it and puzzle over it and really try really hard to remember it and struggle with it. And then, the moment you think of something else, it suddenly comes to you and that’s a very normal experience.’