Is there a name for knowing something is gone but not remembering what it was?

The Giant Korean@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 80 points –

Sometimes I'll notice that a building that I used to drive by all the time is gone (leveled to the ground). I know it's gone, but I can't remember what it looked like or what was in it. I just know it's gone.

Is there a name for this?

45

Interestingly I can't find a german word for this and usually we germans have an unspeakable long word for everything. weird.

There's probably some really specific word in German for this, but I can't think of a single word in English that would fully describe what you're talking about.

That totally happened to me the other day when I was visiting the town I grew up in. It's only a little over an hour away by car, but I hadn't walked around the downtown in years, and it's so different that I couldn't even remember what buildings used to be when they were replaced sometimes.

Dementia

Edit: I figured for sure that giving the wrong answer would lead to the right answer immediately showing up in the replies... Sadly, I was wrong

Virtually everyone over 40 visiting their former home town has dementia in that case.

When you go into a room for something and then can’t remember what it was. There is something about crossing a threshold that makes memories go poof.

That's called context dependent memory.

I have that HARD. As I'm heading out the door, I have a mental list (grab keys and that paper for work, stop for gas, message person about thing) and if my wife asks an unrelated question on my way, I essentially rip up the list, answer her question, go out the door, head to the car, come back in for my keys, get to work, notice the empty gas tank, and remember that paper I left at home.

I have this bad as well. I have to go back to where I started if I want to remember. That seems to help "reset" stuff.

Context dependent memory is different. It’s when you can recall something because you’re in a similar environment where the memory was formed.

Yep, then you walk into another room (new context) and poof, it's gone, but sometimes you can go back into the other room and you start to remember. I'm no expert but I believe that's all related to context dependent memory.

Another trick can be to chew a certain flavor of gum when studying for a test, then chew that same flavor of gum while taking the text: It will help you remember your studies.

In New Orleans you'll often hear "Ain't there no more."

As in, "hey wasn't there a great little cafe here before the storm?" "Yeah, but aint dere no mo"

Reminds me a bit of Jamais Vu

It's not a perfect match to what you describe but it's defined as "the phenomenon of experiencing a situation that one recognizes in some fashion, but that nonetheless seems novel and unfamiliar."

In your case, you recognize there was a building, and recognize it should be familiar, but it still feels unfamiliar to you nevertheless.

Hopefully this is in the right direction lmao