Walking Through Doors Causes Forgetfulness

Flash mob shoplifting is somewhat popular in many cities across the US. Last Saturday night, a 7-Eleven in Silver Spring, MD was hit by at least 70 people, mostly teenagers, who apparently had attended a nearby birthday party and stopped into the 7-Eleven for snacks and drinks. Police said not all of the teens stole goods, but have identified about 20 kids. Another flash mob in August, hit a 7-Eleven in Germantown taking items without paying.

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Some plead poverty, others say they did it for the thrill, others claim the shop owner was mean and had it coming. Now they have a new scientific excuse - walking through doors can cause people to forget.

We’ve all experienced it: The frustration of entering a room and forgetting what we were going to do. Or get. Or find.

New research from University of Notre Dame Psychology Professor Gabriel Radvansky suggests that passing through doorways is the cause of these memory lapses.

“Entering or exiting through a doorway serves as an ‘event boundary’ in the mind, which separates episodes of activity and files them away,” Radvansky explains.

“Recalling the decision or activity that was made in a different room is difficult because it has been compartmentalized.”

Don't think only criminals catch all the breaks. Just today, I bought a 16-20 pound Thanksgiving turkey valued at $22.23 and the computer charged the special price of only $5.99 even though my total purchase did not meet the required break point of $25. Not as good a deal as shoplifting, but it was good enough for me. I guess the Safeway computer had walked through a door recently.


The life of Indigo Red is full of adventure. Tune in next time for the Further Adventures of Indigo Red.