The Neuroscience of Unlearning: Why the Best Learners Are Experts at Forgetting

Summary: Unlearning old ideas and ways of working is a critical yet challenging skill for adult learners. Neuroscience reveals that the complexity of our brains makes unlearning harder. L&D functions are presented with a unique opportunity: to support people as they overcome the cognitive, emotional and social barriers associated with unlearning.

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In the medical field, many educators say that half of what students learn will eventually be proven false. That’s a daunting statistic! And yet, with the expediency at which new research, data and information is uncovered today, professionals across all industries are facing this reality. As knowledge must be constantly updated and replaced, one pressing challenge becomes clear for the L&D function: how can we help learners become better unlearners?

Let’s take a look at the neuroscience behind unlearning, and explore how Learning & Development can address these barriers over time.

The Neuroscience Behind Unlearning:

When we first learn something new, the brain builds neural pathways. Think of these pathways like following a hiking trail– you’ll have a much easier time walking through the woods if you follow the well-traveled path. And the more this path is used over time, the deeper and wider the trail becomes. This repetitive use of neural pathways leads to something called neural efficiency, where the brain uses established pathways to save mental energy.

But what happens when you find a faster path, cutting through the woods? Most people will still take the well-traveled path— it’s still the easier path. Your brain, too, will continue to prioritize the less demanding and most frequently used pathways. Therefore, the challenge of unlearning is not just to forge new neural pathways, but to inhibit dominant neural networks simultaneously. WDHB Studio’s Research Associate, Kübra Simsek, says about the unlearning process, “When we forget something, it results from synapses associated with certain circuits being weakened or less activated. This occurs through an inhibition process, where less frequently used neural connections are reduced in strength. However, they do not disappear completely.”

Why is Unlearning So Hard?

Beyond neural pathways, here are a few other reasons why unlearning can be a challenge. 

1. Ego Protection

Much of what we learn consists of mental models– frameworks that help us understand the world based on socialization and lived experience. These mental models can become so engrained, they impact behavior, personality and even self-perception. To let go of old knowledge, therefore, can feel like a threat to the identity and perception of reality. Releasing these anchoring beliefs can often feel unsettling for learners— if not downright unsafe.

2. Cognitive Biases

Cognitive biases are errors in thinking that occur when your brain attempts to simplify how it processes new information. These biases are meant to help you reach speedy conclusions with less brain power, utilizing “rules of thumb” that seem to be true most of the time. A common example of cognitive bias is confirmation bias— the process of paying greater attention to information that aligns with currently held beliefs.

Cognitive biases fail us when they preclude alternate approaches in favor of familiar solutions. In simpler terms— you’ll never see that new path through the woods if you only pay attention to the familiar road ahead of you.

3. Social Reinforcement

Cultural norms within organizations often reinforce existing mental models, making it difficult to challenge established ways of thinking. When a company deeply values tradition or consistency, employees may hesitate to ask whether certain approaches are still effective. Without intentional reflection, teams can become resistant to questioning the status quo, even when change is necessary for growth. L&D can play a crucial role in creating structured opportunities for teams to reassess and adapt their mental models in a way that feels constructive rather than disruptive.

4. Emotional Attachment

When you have an emotionally charged experience, your emotional nervous system (aka your limbic system) activates to help create stronger neural pathways. This is because the brain prioritizes information that protects us in times of perceived danger. These emotional memories become “sticky” learnings that take 40% more cognitive effort to override.

How can L&D support the unlearning process?

While unlearning is challenging, it isn’t impossible. With targeted efforts by L&D teams, we can make the most of the brain’s neuroplasticity while integrating new mental models.

1. Create Safe Communities of Learning

Unlearning requires vulnerability. If people fear judgment, failure or repercussions for shifting their thinking, they will cling even tighter to their existing mental models. This is why psychological safety is a prerequisite for unlearning— without it, learners may struggle to challenge their own deeply held beliefs or step into the discomfort of change.

L&D teams can foster safety by creating structured spaces for open dialogue, curiosity, and respectful dissent. When learners see their peers openly grappling with new ideas— and when facilitators model this behavior— it normalizes the process of letting go and embracing the unknown. Techniques like peer coaching, reflective discussions and structured debates can encourage learners to challenge outdated perspectives without fear of criticism. We talk more about building learning communities in our latest research report, “The Future of L&D 2024.”

2. Catalyze an Innovation Mindset

If outdated mental models hold organizations back, then the ability to unlearn is directly tied to innovation. Many organizations claim to value innovation, yet they inadvertently reinforce rigid thinking patterns that make true change difficult.

One way L&D can drive this shift is by encouraging learners to adopt what psychologist Carol Dweck calls a growth mindset. Organizations that celebrate curiosity and experimentation create conditions where employees feel empowered to challenge their assumptions. Do you have a growth mindset? Take this short quiz to find out!.

L&D can support a growth mindset in the long term by designing learning experiences that push participants out of their comfort zones. Reverse mentoring, scenario planning and design thinking workshops all encourage people to question assumptions and reframe problems in new ways. The key is to create a culture where unlearning is not seen as a loss, but as a necessary step toward innovation and growth.

3. Experiential Learning:

If emotions create stickier learnings, then experiential learning is the key to building new neural pathways fast. Hearing impactful stories from inspiring people triggers a powerful emotional response, creating memorable “moments” in learning that participants will remember 10 years down the road.

Additionally, learning experiences often leverage embodied cognition— the idea that we store information in our bodies, which impacts our thoughts and actions. According to Dr. Andrew Huberman’s research, pairing physical movement with cognitive restructuring creates 68% faster unlearning compared to traditional learning methods. With engaging, hands-on activities and moments of reflection with peers, the possibilities for deeper processing and reflection go far beyond what you typically witness in the classroom setting.

Conclusion

Unlearning is fundamentally different from forgetting and relearning. In reality, unlearning is a complicated process that requires both neural inhibition and replacement. Neural inhibition can be a huge challenge for learners, especially when we consider the social and emotional impact knowledge can have on self-perception and lived experience. The role of L&D, then, is not just to teach new skills, but to create the conditions in which people feel safe to question, explore and ultimately replace their old ways of thinking.

By cultivating communities of learning, fostering innovation in the workplace and utilizing experiential learning, Learning & Development teams can uniquely position themselves to support employees as they create new neural pathways. In the end, the most successful learners are not just those who acquire new knowledge, but those who master the art of unlearning and relearning, time and time again.

Further Reading

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010945218300273

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-challenge-your-mental-models-think-differently-kate-gerasimova

https://blog.cengage.com/the-neuroscience-of-unlearning/

https://partably.com/unlearning/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5657245

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-cognitive-bias-2794963