These associations interconnect these memories, strengthening old ones that are recollected and providing new ones with a complex framework in connection with which they are likely to be recalled in the future. Retention is not a mindless, mechanical process. On the contrary, the consciousness is thinking and feeling and continuing to perceive during this process. Thus evaluation by means of our emotional feelings and cognitive value system also greatly colors these memories. Rational thought attempts to organize the information so that it can be meaningfully recalled.
Repetition strengthens retention.
Each time we remember something, that part of the memory that we do recall becomes strengthened. Nevertheless memories that are not recalled for many years can still be recovered as long as they were sufficiently retained originally. Forgetting naturally occurs for memories that are not well-retained or consolidated in the memory fairly soon, and weaker impressions also fade with them. However, forgetting can also be caused by psychological blocks, or what Freud called repression. In these cases, people have some motive for not wanting to remember in order to hide certain information from themselves.