Researchers at Stanford University, California, have used fMRI scans to discover how the brain suppresses irrelevant memories in order to recall what’s really important.

Counter-intuitive though it may sound, remembering something entails a cost for memories that are related but unimportant. As Anthony Wagner, Associate Professor of Pscyhology at Stanford explains:-

This relationship powerfully illustrates a primary benefit of forgetting: as irrelevant memories are forgotten, the neural systems that help us remember do not need to work as hard. While forgetting can be frustrating, it may represent a fundamental benefit for our ability to remember.”

Next time I forget my new bank PIN, I’ll be sure to console myself with the knowledge that my prefrontal cortex is simply remembering too much.

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