Why Learning Feels Like Forgetting First

Have you ever walked away from a dense lecture or finished reading an article—only to feel like you’ve immediately forgotten most of it? It’s disorienting and often discouraging. But here’s the twist: that sensation is not a failure of memory—it’s a signal that real learning is underway.

In cognitive science circles, researchers are increasingly exploring why learning feels like forgetting first, and how that uncomfortable moment is actually a necessary part of long-term retention and creative thinking. This counterintuitive phenomenon is shaping how educators design instruction, how tech companies build learning platforms, and how professionals reframe their own knowledge development.

Let’s unpack the neuroscience, the misconceptions, and the practical tools that explain why forgetting is part of the learning process—not a sign you’re doing it wrong.

The Cognitive Discomfort of Real Learning

We tend to equate learning with familiarity. If something feels easy to recall, we assume it’s well-learned. But research shows that fluency is a poor predictor of actual understanding.

According to Dr. Robert Bjork, a cognitive psychologist at UCLA, “desirable difficulties” are necessary for effective learning. These include moments when recalling information feels effortful—even when you can’t retrieve it right away. This phenomenon is called the retrieval difficulty effect, and it’s been extensively studied over the past decade.

“Conditions that make performance improve rapidly often fail to support long-term retention,” Bjork notes. “Whereas conditions that create challenges often yield stronger, more durable learning.”

So that sinking feeling of forgetting? It’s not regression—it’s incubation.

What’s Actually Happening When You ‘Forget’ What You Just Learned

When we talk about forgetting during learning, we’re usually experiencing one of the following:

Temporary memory suppression: Your brain has stored the information but hasn’t yet built strong retrieval pathways.
Cognitive overload: New information competes with existing schemas and needs to be integrated slowly.
Reconstruction phase: Instead of memorizing, your brain is reorganizing and connecting concepts for deeper understanding.

This reorganization process is supported by research in the Journal of Memory and Language (Carpenter et al., 2012), which found that learners who experienced retrieval failure during practice—but eventually recalled the information—had better long-term retention than those who recalled easily from the start.

The Role of the Forgetting Curve

German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus’s Forgetting Curve—first documented in the late 1800s—is still referenced today. It shows how quickly information decays without reinforcement.

The good news? Each retrieval attempt, even a failed one, flattens the curve, making it easier to remember the material over time.

Here’s how it works:

You learn something new.
You forget part of it almost immediately.
You recall or review it again.
The memory trace strengthens.
Repeat = mastery.

This loop is now at the heart of modern spaced repetition tools like Anki and SuperMemo, used widely by language learners, medical students, and software engineers.

Why Learning Feels Like Forgetting First in Digital Environments

As learning increasingly happens online—through short videos, social feeds, newsletters, and micro-courses—the illusion of fluency is stronger than ever. You feel informed, but the knowledge hasn’t actually sunk in.

A 2023 study in Computers in Human Behavior found that passive content consumption leads to “information exposure without durable encoding.” In other words, scrolling doesn’t stick.

This is why interactive tools and active recall features are now embedded in platforms like:

Notion and Obsidian (for note-based learning with backlinks)
Quizlet and Brainscape (for retrieval-based study)
Readwise Reader (for resurfacing highlights over time)

All of these tools rely on the idea that feeling like you’re forgetting is not failure—it’s friction. And friction leads to better retention when it’s managed well.

Practical Guide: How to Learn Without Panicking When You Forget

Here’s how to build a learning process that embraces the forgetting phase, rather than resisting it:

1. Use Spaced Repetition

Structure your review schedule so that material resurfaces just as you’re about to forget it. Tools like Anki or even calendar reminders work well here.

2. Embrace Retrieval Practice

Instead of rereading notes, test yourself on them. Even if you fail to recall, the act strengthens future memory.

3. Avoid Passive Review

Highlighting and rereading might feel productive, but they reinforce fluency, not understanding.

4. Leave Time Gaps

Don’t cram. The longer the space between learning and recall, the stronger the retention if you’re forced to retrieve the information.

5. Write from Memory

After reading an article or watching a video, write a short summary from memory. Compare it to the original later.

6. Explain It to Someone Else

Teaching forces you to organize information in your own words—a proven technique for deeper learning.

Educational Trends That Acknowledge This Phenomenon

Educators and institutions are adapting to the idea that forgetting is part of learning:

Interleaving content: Rather than learning one topic in full before moving on, educators mix topics to interrupt easy fluency.
Retrieval-based testing: Universities are adopting more frequent, low-stakes quizzes to encourage effortful recall.
Micro-failure tolerance: New adaptive learning platforms include “desirable failure” moments—deliberately designed to make learners struggle before offering help.

This evolution aligns with a broader movement toward meta-learning—learning how we learn. It acknowledges the emotional discomfort of feeling like you’re forgetting, while reinforcing its value in the learning cycle.

Why It Matters in a Knowledge Economy

We’re in a moment where skill-building and self-education are crucial—especially in fast-moving fields like AI, digital design, and health science. But the expectations for fast learning and constant retention often clash with how the brain actually works.

Understanding why learning feels like forgetting first is essential if we want to develop sustainable, long-term mastery—not just content familiarity. It helps individuals become more resilient learners and encourages systems that support actual understanding over surface-level performance.

Conclusion

That foggy moment where a concept you just studied slips out of your mental grasp? It’s not your brain breaking. It’s your brain building.

Real learning happens in layers, and the role of forgetting is to clear space for reconstruction. It prompts recall, reshapes patterns, and deepens comprehension. Instead of fearing the forgetting phase, we should learn to expect it—and use it.

References

Bjork, R. A., & Bjork, E. L. (2011). Making things hard on yourself, but in a good way: Creating desirable difficulties to enhance learning. Psychology and the Real World.
Carpenter, S. K., & DeLosh, E. L. (2012). Learning by trying to remember. Journal of Memory and Language, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2011.10.004
Ebbinghaus, H. (1885/1964). Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology.
Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1152408
Sana, F., Weston, T., & Cepeda, N. J. (2023). Retention and comprehension from digital content. Computers in Human Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107708