A Memory From Out of the Blue

The phenomenon was given a name, mind-popping, by one of the few researchers to study it, George Mandler, a pioneer in memory research who died in 2016.

He and his colleagues found that such a memory usually occurred during a task that was relatively automatic, such as routine grooming or housekeeping, which left the mind free to wander.

They speculated that the recall might involve what is called long-term priming, information related to the memory that was acquired days or even weeks earlier than the actual recollection.

Because mind-popping can be perceived as alien or uncontrollable, researchers also have noted its similarity to hallucination.

One study assessed the frequency of mind-pops in small samples of mentally healthy people and in patients with schizophrenia or clinical depression. The results suggested that mind-pops may be more prevalent in individuals with schizophrenia.