How to describe the inside of one's mind?


On one page in my book, I came across 3 different phrases for, what seems to
me, subtly different ways of saying the same thing.

The first was: `頭の隅に`

Then: `脳裏に`

The information I was able to find was vague at best. Judging from the sort of
"hidden" quality I attach to both `隅` and `裏`, I take to mean roughly "the
back of one's mind".

The third phrase was: `目の奥に`

I think this should be taken rather figuratively, meaning something like "the
mind's eye" (judging from the context in the book), but again the definitions
I could find for this were not helpful.

Are these phrases related? Are my guesses off the mark?




脳裏 and 目の奥 are often used with 焼き付く as in

> 脳裏に焼き付いた。

and are referring to an event, which has been etched into your brain or onto
the back of your eyes. Hence, the latter is used for visual impressions,
whereas the former can be used for any type of impression. Both are _strong_
impressions, which are unforgettable.

頭の隅 corresponds to the back of your mind, as for example in

> これを頭の隅に入れといてください。また今度詳しく説明します。  
>  Just keep that in the back of your mind for now. I will explain it in more
> detail next time.

and is used for facts which are allowed to be forgotten, but which might help
you make connections later on.




脳裏 and 目の奥 are often used with 焼き付く as in

> 脳裏に焼き付いた。

and are referring to an event, which has been etched into your brain or onto
the back of your eyes. Hence, the latter is used for visual impressions,
whereas the former can be used for any type of impression. Both are _strong_
impressions, which are unforgettable.

頭の隅 corresponds to the back of your mind, as for example in

> これを頭の隅に入れといてください。また今度詳しく説明します。  
>  Just keep that in the back of your mind for now. I will explain it in more
> detail next time.

and is used for facts which are allowed to be forgotten, but which might help
you make connections later on.

