Can walking through a doorway make you forget?

This report on this particular study by Dr Radvansky and colleagues from the University of Notre Dame is a few years old, but still pretty interesting:

_http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/02/21/3436001.htm_

They designed a series of experiments to explore the event-horizon model, wherein the brain appears to purge unnecessary information/memories after various transitions...such as, walking through a doorway.

I have experience this time and again! And to recover the lost thought you have to step back through the door to regain the "lost frame of reference"

:D

nicklebleu said:

I have experience this time and again! And to recover the lost thought you have to step back through the door to regain the "lost frame of reference"

:D

Click to expand...

That's been my experience(s) too! I agree on the "thought recovery" method. I remember reading about this year's ago and I could've sworn it was in one of Laura's books but I'm not sure. I have several associations of the period that was recorded as a whole memory (C's - memory being "a perceptual record of events") specific to the study. I just can't quite figure out where I first read it LOL. In any case, SOTT had this too: http://www.sott.net/article/237872-Walking-through-doorways-causes-forgetting-new-research-shows (I remember they used a memory technique in "Sherlock", as noted in the comments section)

When I first read about this I was slightly incredulous, even though it made sense.... then I got up to get something and walked into another room... and promptly forgot an item on the way back! Quite startling it was. That said I think you can force the memory to stay with you if you bring it to the forefront of your conscious attention. That is, the memory is THE most "important" thing at that moment - total focus. I've remembered this "event boundary" on and off since becoming aware of it and it's really annoying forgetting things that I feel I easily should remember. Typically it's when I'm cooking or setting things up, I make about ten to-and-fro journeys by not paying much attention (even though I know what I want to do) when really, it should be three or four tops.

I have been working for nearly 20 years in a dealership parts department. I and another girl order all the parts that the mechanics need to fix our customer's cars. There is a doorway that they all have to go through to get to our counter, and for years we have been saying that the doorway must be a mind swiper because 90% of the guys forget what they needed after they have walked through the doorway!!