confusion, mental confusion, disarray

a mental state characterized by a lack of clear and orderly thought and behavior

• disorientation — confusion (usually transient) about where you are and how to proceed; uncertainty as to direction
• distraction — mental turmoil
• daze, fog, haze — confusion characterized by lack of clarity
• half-cock — confusion resulting from lack of preparation
• jamais vu — the experience of being unfamiliar with a person or situation that is actually very familiar; associated with certain types of epilepsy
• bewilderment, obfuscation, puzzlement, befuddlement, mystification, bafflement, bemusement — confusion resulting from failure to understand
• perplexity — trouble or confusion resulting from complexity

• cognitive state, state of mind — the state of a person's cognitive processes