Childhood Memories?

[J. M. Stovall]

We all have fond memories from childhood, but at the same time you have to realize our brains are not digital recorders. And recalling a memory is not like accessing a hard drive. Just think about how the memory is always third person. If they were pure recordings would they not be first person, like a camera? But at the same time the lack of accuracy does not make them less valid or important. This excerpt from Psychology Today sums it up pretty well:


Memory is a complicated process, only partly understood; but research suggests that the qualities of a memory do not in and of themselves provide a reliable way to determine accuracy. For example, a vivid and detailed memory may be based upon inaccurate reconstruction of facts, or largely self-created impressions that appear to have actually occurred. Likewise, continuity of memory is no guarantee of truth, and disruption of memory is no guarantee of falsity. Finally, memory is believed to be a reconstructed phenomenon, and so it can often be strongly influenced by expectation (one's own or other people's), emotions, the implied beliefs of others, inappropriate interpretation, or desired outcome.

So do I really remember climbing through the screen door when I was three, or was the story just repeated to me so often I built a false memory of it? Even if I do remember the act, the accuracy of the details should be highly suspect.

So what do you think? Is it science or psycobable ?

 

[TheKitschGoth]

I think it's a bit of both. Some childhood memories I think I have not through any actually memory on my part, but through photos of the event and people telling me about it. Others I can't see that I'd ever have been told about, and they are often the little things. My earliest memory is actually from a 1st person standpoint (or more accurately crawlpoint) of being in my mum and dad's bedroom sitting on the floor and looking up at a framed photo of Elvis on top of my mum's chest of drawers. Noone would have said to me "do you remember sitting on the floor and looking at the Elvis picture?" or taken a photo of me doing so. But I remember it anyway.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I have very vivid childhood memories, all the way back to attending my great-grandmother's funeral when I was a little over a year old -- I don't remember the actual funeral, but I do remember that we drove past an oil tank farm on the way to get there. No one ever discussed that with me, no pictures were ever taken, and I never even told anyone about that memory -- but all my life I vividly remembered the rows of big white tanks along the side of the road. Thirty-odd years later, I happened to visit the town where the funeral was held, and saw those same tanks were still there. So yes, I do think there's a basis for memory that young -- it varies according to the individual brain, I guess, but I don't see any psychobabble, at least not in my case.

Actually, my problem is that I remember *too many* things. There are a great many things I wish I could erase from my memory, but unfortunately trying to forget them only ensures I'll remember them that much more vividly.

 

[Elaina]

I have a very vivid memory also, my earliest memory is of me in a crib and wanting pretty baby (a gift from my dad when I was a year old) and having Raggedy Ann instead. I remember being wet, and taking the diaper off and hitting my sister with it. Now, in fairness it's not a cohesieve memory in adult speech like that, just anger and being uncomfortable. I remember the diaper because I thought it was funny. I still do.

I also vividly remember the blizzard of '79. We had to get this abused pygmy goat out of the cold, and no one could get near Nanny because of her babies, so my dad had to take me out there and deal with her because Red was way protective of her and the kids. I also remember it because our husky had a wolf mate and when playing in the tunnels in the yard, I got herded to his pups and this wolf "watched me". I also remember the dog running away.

I really try very hard to forget my childhood. Sadly, I remember it all too well.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

If there is one thing I have learned this past week about people and their childhood memories, is that it doesn't matter how "accurate" they are, they are obviously very personal and special to them, good or bad. If I hurt anyone's feeling by implying that I thought they were lying I apologize, that was not my intention whatsoever. I was just being a little too cold and analytical about the whole matter.

 

[pigeon toe]

I definitely have a lot of vivid childhood memories, but a lot of them are probably made up! I was notorious for lying, making up stories and exaggerating, to the point where I'm not sure what's true and what's just another one of my crazy stories. Luckily my compulsive liar phase only lasted from about age 5-9, so not too much of my childhood has been tainted by my imagination!

 

[CharlieH.]

My childhood memories are sparse, but what little I have are quite graphic (no, not that kind of graphic). Some of them may have had photographic aid, but then again, it's been years since I last flipped through my albums.

The earliest ones I have date to the days when I lived in Dearborn. I still remember the smell of the kindergarden classroom (actually it was a trailer on UM grounds), the little forest nearby (with a mysterious miniature house tucked in it), the repeated visits to the Henry Ford Museum, the first hobby shop (siiigh!), chasing squirrels on the (alarmingly green) backyard, visits to the Rouge Ford Plant and the many trips to the nearby railroad yards.

(I know that doesn't really answer the original question but I couldn't resist a fit of nostalgia)

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Actually, I like were this thread has headed, it's fun to hear everyones stories

 

[TheKitschGoth]

If there is one thing I have learned this past week about people and their childhood memories, is that it doesn't matter how "accurate" they are, they are obviously very personal and special to them, good or bad. If I hurt anyone's feeling by implying that I thought they were lying I apologize, that was not my intention whatsoever. I was just being a little too cold and analytical about the whole matter.

Didn't come across like that at all. It's a good question, one I've actually wondered myself. There are memories I have that don't last beyond the split second it takes to take a photo, I've no idea if my memories are of the actual event, or of the photo. And seeing as how photography is my one true love it's something that fascinates me.

 

[waingirl]

Starting at age 6 my memories are quite vivid, even if I don't have any photo's to commemorate the event. My brother, sister and I always look back fondly and talk about our childhood. Ahh youth, I miss those days!!lol Before age 6 though, I only remember a few things.

 

[Kim_B]

I think it is a little of both.

I do not have many memories of my childhood outside of what people tell me or what I see in photos. In fact, the only things I remember are the things that scared me when I was a child and Rainbow Brite and She-Ra. Sometimes I wish I could remember more, but I often wonder if it's better that I don't!

 

[Amy Jeanne]

One day I freaked out my dad.

Out of the blue, I told him I remembered going to this old building on High Street in town and there was a very old man in there. I remember the ceiling was very badly water-damaged and it was falling down a bit. I also told him I remembered old college class photos from the 1920s all over the place. We have no photos of this place and my dad had never talked about it while I was growing up.

He looked at me and his jaw dropped! He said "How could you remember that? You only must have been a year old!" Turns out the old man was a lawyer that my parents used to see. He didn't tell me what for.

I even creep myself out a bit with this memory. How could I have known the LOCATION of this place? And the vivd detail of the ceiling being water-damaged and the 1920s photos all over the place. I blame this incident for my 1920s/urban ruins obsessions.

 

[Novella]

Now, in fairness it's not a cohesieve memory in adult speech like that, just anger and being uncomfortable.

That reminds me of how Doris Lessing in her autobiography "Under My Skin" describes her earliest years. She has some interesting thoughts on the way in which people remember their early years.

When I was 1 1/2 or so my parents moved to a different house. Whenever anyone would talk about the old house we lived in when I was first born I'd always think about the really steep stairs in the house. Whether it's a memory of a dream or a memory of me actually being at the base of the stairs and looking up at them through the eyes of a very small person I'm not sure. The one thing I'm sure of though is that the stairs in that house were just normal stairs, not a particularly long or steep flight at all, just the usual household type.

 

[Novella]

the repeated visits to the Henry Ford Museum,

Hey, I think I went there when I was little! I wish I remembered it though, this one's definitely a case of photographic memory (in the "photo" sense of the word!)
I think this was taken there:


When it comes to memory, if I can easily envision watching myself doing something as if I were on film, I usually feel that it's an induced memory rather than a real-live organic one.

 

[dr greg]

recall

I can vividly and accurately describe the house we lived in when I was 18mths old, never having seen it again, but couldn't tell you what I was doing on a particular day last month without a reference point.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I like the ALF t-shirt!

 

[CharlieH.]

Hey, I think I went there when I was little! I wish I remembered it though, this one's definitely a case of photographic memory (in the "photo" sense of the word!)
I think this was taken there:


When it comes to memory, if I can easily envision watching myself doing something as if I were on film, I usually feel that it's an induced memory rather than a real-live organic one.

Looks like Greenfield Village to me. How old were you in that picture?

 

[Novella]

Looks like Greenfield Village to me. How old were you in that picture?

I'm not actually sure - 3-ish maybe?

 

[CharlieH.]

Hmmm... could it be that most, if not all memories we have from our earlier years are induced by pictures and whatever our parents tell us? I recall reading somewhere that that particular part of the brain doesn't kick in until a certain age.