Repression
Memories outside of conscious awareness are often referred to as implicit memories. These are stored memories that can influence behavior and emotions without being consciously recalled.
If you can only remember good times and not bad times this could be an example of motivated forgetting. Motivated forgetting is a way to protect oneself from bad, unhappy, and anxiety producing memories.
research into repression explain forgetting because the memory of the event have been repressed into the unconscious mind and although it affects their conscious thought, there is no conscious memory of the event.
The three theories of forgetting are trace decay theory, interference theory, and retrieval failure theory. Trace decay theory suggests that memories fade with time if they are not accessed or reinforced. Interference theory posits that forgetting occurs when new information disrupts the retrieval of older memories. Retrieval failure theory proposes that forgetting happens when there are issues with accessing or retrieving memories stored in long-term memory.
conscience or you must be conscious
Latent forgetting refers to the phenomenon where previously learned information is not immediately accessible but can be retrieved later under certain conditions. This contrasts with active forgetting, where memories are actively lost or degraded over time. Latent forgetting suggests that memories may be stored in the brain but become temporarily dormant due to factors like interference or lack of retrieval cues. It highlights the complexity of memory storage and retrieval processes.
Memory does not solely require conscious processing; it operates on both conscious and unconscious levels. While explicit memories, such as facts and events, involve conscious thought and retrieval, implicit memories, like skills and habits, can be formed and recalled without conscious awareness. This duality allows us to learn and remember information even when we are not actively focused on it.
Suppressed memories are memories that are consciously forgotten or blocked out due to distress or trauma, while repressed memories are memories that are unconsciously pushed out of awareness as a defense mechanism. Both involve a lack of access to memories, but the difference lies in the level of awareness or intention behind the act of forgetting.
It can be measured from birth or from when a child has their first memories of being conscious of the world around them.
Forgiving may be easier than forgetting because while forgiving involves letting go of resentment and anger towards someone, forgetting requires erasing memories or experiences, which can be more challenging. However, the two can be interconnected as forgiving can lead to forgetting over time.
A state of forgetting is referred to as "amnesia." Amnesia can result from various factors, including brain injury, psychological trauma, or certain medical conditions, and it can affect the ability to recall information or form new memories. There are different types of amnesia, such as retrograde amnesia, which involves the loss of memories formed before a specific event, and anterograde amnesia, which affects the ability to create new memories after the event.
Decay theory in psychology suggests that memory fades or decays over time if it is not used or reinforced. This theory posits that forgetting occurs simply because memories fade away naturally if they are not accessed or recalled regularly. Decay theory contrasts with interference theory, which suggests that forgetting occurs due to competition between memories.