. ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁demonstrated ▁in ▁many ▁studies ▁that ▁our ▁specific ▁goals ▁and ▁intent ions ▁will ▁most ▁frequently ▁result ▁in ▁the ▁retr ieval ▁of ▁related ▁I AM , ▁while ▁the ▁second ▁most ▁frequent ▁I AM ▁retr ieval s ▁result ▁from ▁physical ▁c ues ▁in ▁the ▁surrounding ▁context . ▁Aut obi ographical ▁mem ories ▁that ▁are ▁un related ▁to ▁any ▁specific ▁c ues , ▁whether ▁internal ▁or ▁external , ▁are ▁the ▁least ▁frequent ▁to ▁occur . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁in ▁this ▁case , ▁an ▁error ▁in ▁self - reg ulation ▁of ▁memory ▁has ▁occurred ▁that ▁results ▁in ▁an ▁un related ▁aut obi ographical ▁memory ▁reaching ▁the ▁conscious ▁mind . ▁These ▁find ings ▁are ▁consistent ▁with ▁met ac ogn ition ▁as ▁the ▁third ▁type ▁of ▁experience ▁is ▁often ▁identified ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁sal ient ▁one . ▁ ▁In vol unt ary ▁semantic ▁memory ▁retr ieval ▁( IS M ), ▁or ▁" sem antic - po pping ", ▁occurs ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁fashion ▁as ▁I AM ▁retr ieval . ▁However , ▁the ▁el ic ited ▁memory ▁is ▁de void ▁of ▁personal ▁ground ing ▁and ▁often ▁considered ▁trivial , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁random ▁word , ▁image , ▁or ▁phrase . ▁IS M ▁retr ieval ▁can ▁occur ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁spread ing ▁activation , ▁where ▁words , ▁thoughts , ▁and ▁concepts ▁activ ate ▁related ▁semantic ▁mem ories ▁contin ually . ▁When ▁enough ▁related ▁mem ories ▁are ▁prim ed ▁that ▁an ▁inter related ▁concept , ▁word , ▁thought , ▁or ▁image ▁" p ops " ▁into