h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

WHY?... what makes us forget large sections of time... for instance
how come when I went out once, I remember everything up to half an hour before leaving, and then I remember being outside, but I had a girl with me, who I don't remember meeting, and I'd picked up some potentially lethal keys from the cloak room, although when I got back to my flat I was sure I hadn't collected them.

Does anyone know what causes this, or does someone else take control of our body...
and if anyone can find out what I said to pick up this girl, so that I can use it when I'm sober I would be very greatful.

State Dependant Learning. Basically you remember things better when you are in the same state you were in when you learnt them. I guess this applies to alcohol too. Only more so cos booze messes with your nervous system which governs movement (thus the falling over and nausea) and brain processes. The memories may well be there only you've forgotten what folder you put them in. Worse still, there may have been a system faliure at the point you were saving it

Generally we don't remember what we did when we were drunk because it would be too embarrassing!

Yep, Freudian memory supression exists too. That's a good possibility.

How about post-traumatic amnesia? People suffering traumatic incidences such as severe pain (or in this case severely painful embarassment) are unable to remember anything about their experience despite retaining consciousness. Your mind does not want to remember...

OK, that sounds good, almost makes sense in fact, but how come I can always remember the embarrasing things....

Because the things you forgot are even more embarrassing than the things you remember!

Yup, we're talking about the difference between casual, o-mi-god kind of embarassment and absolute mind-numbing, sweat-inducing, bowel-loosening embarassment.

Probably the line you used on that poor innocent girl for example...

Was it "If you're going to regret this in the morning, we can sleep until the afternoon." ?

Or something better?

Maybe he just gave her a classic "blatantly lustful stare" and then began a converation with "awwwwright, luv..?"
Seems to work from time to time, if you're drunk enough and lucky enough.

But usually only works if the girl is more drunk than you!

Yes, you have to pick the victi... sorry, I mean the ATTRACTIVE YOUNG LADY very carefully. And even then....

O fickle, fickle women....

I think we prefer to call ourselves choosey rather than fickle!

But, there always is a friend that isn't drunk and he can help you remember (and tell everybody what you did).

OK I see what you are saying. But can anyone give me a scientific explanation of what exactly makes us forget things and then remember something that happened immediately after.

P.S. She was not innocent, as for being poor.. it's hard to tell, whe wasn't wearing many clothes!! LOL!

Automatic Deniability Defense Mechanism.

If someone asks, you can truthfully say, "I don't remember doing anything like that."

I don't know if there is a rational, scientific explanation for your conundrum. We can only hypothesize that we're somewhere in the right direction with a combination of

1) The shame factor
2) The denial factor
3) The "different mental states" idea

The cause in all probability appears to be psychological rather than physical, and I would imagine any good hypnotist with some knowledge of the night's events would be able to bring the rest back for you.

I specifically don't remember a complete stranger giving me the advice "never wear brown in town..." for example, although my compadres and accomplices for the evening assure me this was the case.

Vlad.

More embarassing chat-up lines you'd only use when drunk:

"You don't sweat much for a fat lass"

"Get your coat, you've pulled"

"How do you like your eggs in the morning, fertilized or unfertilized?"

"Hey! I think you've got something in your eye!"

None of them original and all of them far too gross even for a sleaze like me. Awright girls, let's have your drunken chat-up lines...

We don't do things like that. The great thing about equality is that we could pick and choose what we wanted to be equal at and we had enough sense to realise that the only way to be equal to men in this area was to sink to their level and that is beneath us!

Err ... right. So no drunken chat-up lines you're ashamed of then? *grins infuriatingly*

PS this is not my area of expertise...