Ever walked into a room and instantly forgotten why? Don't worry, it's not just you—science has some juicy answers!"

Ever walked into a room and instantly forgotten why? Don't worry, it's not just you—science has some juicy answers!"

Most people experience a strange phenomenon when moving from one room to another. They enter looking for something specific, only to be surprised to find they've completely forgotten why they entered.

Scientists explain that this momentary forgetfulness is not a cause for concern, but rather a natural consequence of the way the brain deals with environmental changes.

This effect is known as the "doorway effect," a cognitive phenomenon that occurs when the brain resets itself when moving between different spaces, sometimes resulting in a temporary loss of information related to the previous location.

Cognitive neuroscientist Christian Jarrett says that the brain naturally organizes information according to environmental contexts, such as different rooms or locations. When we move from one place to another, the brain considers this change a watershed event, which can lead to the erasure of short-term information related to the previous room.

Jarrett pointed to a study conducted by the University of Queensland, in which scientists tested how passing through doors affects memory. They found that people who moved between identical rooms had no trouble remembering, unlike those who moved between completely different rooms, who were more likely to forget what they were thinking about. The scientists noted that this forgetfulness was more common in people who were distracted or preoccupied with other thoughts while moving.

Another experiment, conducted by scientists from the University of Notre Dame, confirmed that passing through doors impairs memory. Volunteers were asked to move between virtual rooms using computer keys and manipulate certain objects, then answer questions about what they were carrying. The results showed that memory performance was worse after passing through doors than after remaining in the same room.

To confirm the results in a real-world setting, the research team conducted a similar experiment in actual rooms, where participants carried boxes between rooms. The results revealed that people were more likely to forget the contents of the box after passing through the door, supporting the hypothesis that a change in environment affects the retrieval of information from short-term memory.

Scientists explain this by saying that doors act as "switches" between memory loops. This means that the brain views each room as a separate environment, and when moving to a new location, it begins to readjust information according to the new context, leading to the loss of previous information.

In addition, the accumulation of new information can confuse memory, making it difficult to recall the reason for entering the room.

To reduce the likelihood of forgetting tasks when moving between rooms, scientists recommend following some simple strategies, including:

Focus on the task while walking to the desired location and avoid thinking about other things.

Repeat the goal aloud while moving between rooms to keep the brain focused.

Take quick notes, such as writing down key words on your hand or on a piece of paper.

Source: Daily Mail - https://ar.rt.com/zl24 - Published April 1,-2025