Such absent-mindedness tends to creep up on us as we age and occurs because our plans and intentions, which are chalked up on the menial blackboard, are easily wiped out by stray thoughts and other distraction Stress and preoccupation can also cause such absent-mindedness, in addition to age-related changes in the brain. The frontal lobes of the brain -located behind the forehead and above the eyes- are where the working memory system is located. Like the temporal lobes, which handle new learning, the frontal lobes are more vulnerable to the ageing process than МВГ parts of the brain.