What is earliest memory you have? Anyone distinctly remember as an infant?

[Iron Woode]

There was a bright light, and then someone hit me.

that was the Police arresting you for being drunk in public.

 

[lxskllr]

I have some trouble remembering things accurately in time. Everything happens in large age blocks. <5, 5-9, 9-13, the rest. Recent history(last 25 years) also blends together. I'll think of childhood vacations, and they all happened when I was 12. That was a busy year :^D

 

[Murloc]

I can remember various stuff from kindergarten.
But it was like 2-3 years and it's just some stuff.
Before that, nothing specific.

It's not easy to put this sort of memories on a timeline if the surroundings didn't change a lot.

E.g. I can tell if a memory is from kindergarten because of the room or the teacher. But e.g. holidays or stuff I saw at home (like in the garden) are outside of the timeline since there is no temporal reference with a resolution finer than 10 years.

 

[TheVrolok]

Memory is a funny thing and significantly more fluid and variable than most people realize. I suspect that none of you truly have memories of cribs days and have rather conjured up these memories which you honestly believe to be real. It's an incredibly fascinating subject with a lot of good TED talks

 

[lxskllr]

Memory is a funny thing and significantly more fluid and variable than most people realize. I suspect that none of you truly have memories of cribs days and have rather conjured up these memories which you honestly believe to be real. It's an incredibly fascinating subject with a lot of good TED talks

Hard to prove, and certainly not to a message board, but these are the things I remember from my trip to the ocean at ~18mos...

Being placed in a boat ride at the amusement park
A sand toy that had several scoops on a fixed wheel
being wheeled across the highway in a stroller
Staying on the second floor of an L shaped hotel

Supporting evidence...

That was the only year we didn't stay ocean front
Too old for stroller afterward
No pictures exist to contaminate memory

 

[manimal]

nm

 

[TheVrolok]

Hard to prove, and certainly not to a message board, but these are the things I remember from my trip to the ocean at ~18mos...

Being placed in a boat ride at the amusement park
A sand toy that had several scoops on a fixed wheel
being wheeled across the highway in a stroller
Staying on the second floor of an L shaped hotel

Supporting evidence...

That was the only year we didn't stay ocean front
Too old for stroller afterward
No pictures exist to contaminate memory

My end of the argument would be that you are aware of your supporting evidence and have used that logic to construct/alter your memories. Memory is incredibly unreliable, especially distant memory.

 

[tortillasoup]

My end of the argument would be that you are aware of your supporting evidence and have used that logic to construct/alter your memories. Memory is incredibly unreliable, especially distant memory.

Sometimes people just remember details that are inexplicable except for those who were directly involved. My mom specifically remembers crying as an infant just to see the reaction her parents would have and felt a little bad afterwards. The fact that she remembers being put in front of a mirror and crying because she was bald at 6 months old and thought she looked like everybody else is a memory only she could have and explain, especially in that depth.


let's face it, to imply that people can't remember things at a very young age would imply you could abuse a child up until a point where they can reliably remember things yet we know the case to be otherwise. There are some articles that discuss why people at different ages have such difficulty recalling their memories. What the article said was that those who learned how to journal their memories by associating it with time and specific events and those who thought about their memories were better able to recall and pinpoint when those memories happened compared with others. Just think about a person who is completely immersed in a video game or watching a program, oblivious to time passing by. They'll have no idea at what time they completed such and such level etc or possibly even remember playing the game or watching tv at all, especially if they're very passive about the whole experience.

I remember in great detail everything past kindergarten but that's likely because I remember feeling bad about not having a good memory of previous life events of when they happened etc. while my classmates seemed to remember those things pretty well.


The oddest thing about my very early childhood memories is not the fact that I can remember being an infant, but the fact that it was only about 2 years ago where one day, all of a sudden, a massive flood of very early memories came to me which was a bit startling. In that flood of memories, one thing I remember is being a year old during the '89 Earthquake and everything I saw and felt while that earthquake was happening.

 

[John Connor]

Memory is a funny thing and significantly more fluid and variable than most people realize. I suspect that none of you truly have memories of cribs days and have rather conjured up these memories which you honestly believe to be real. It's an incredibly fascinating subject with a lot of good TED talks

I remember being in my crib and my grandma giving me a piece of cheese!

 

[88keys]

I have vague memories of my grandmother. I know that I was less than 3 but I wouldn't know the exact age. But I remember her walking me down the sidewalk and I tripped and I got a bad cut on my knee. Funny thing is that I remember her being very tall, but I was probably under 3' so everybody was tall. I know she passed away around the time I was 3 years old.

But age 3 is when most of my memories start. My parents moved to New Jersey (our stay was brief). But I remember how much I hated going to daycare because I could never sleep during nap time. I remember my mother teaching me how to read. I also remember watching a show called "City of Gold" while I lived there. I have no idea what it was about, but I remember the intro was mesmerizing to me as a kid.

 

[ImpulsE69]

If you consider there are always going to be anomalies outside the norm you can account for some of this too. Just because the 'average' age is XX for memory recall doesn't mean it is the same for everyone.

The memory I have isn't that young really but it was around something I didn't know about growing up, until I described it to a family member asking what it was through a normal discussion as an adult. It was only at that point when someone told me that I had any idea what the memory actually was and through my description they knew what I was talking about even though I didn't.

Or...I'm psychic.

 

[Jadow]

Either picking up a hot sparkler by the wrong end or sticking my fingers in an electrical outlet and getting a shock.

Also remember my parents bringing my sister home. All were around 2-3 years old don't know which was oldest.

 

[TheVrolok]

Sometimes people just remember details that are inexplicable except for those who were directly involved. My mom specifically remembers crying as an infant just to see the reaction her parents would have and felt a little bad afterwards. The fact that she remembers being put in front of a mirror and crying because she was bald at 6 months old and thought she looked like everybody else is a memory only she could have and explain, especially in that depth.

Again, my end of the argument would be that she is using her current understanding to develop context around a memory of which she may or may not even actually have a piece. Something like "I now know what it's like to do something to see someone's reaction and feel remorse." + "I have a memory of (or a memory of seeing a picture of) my first home." = A "memory" she once had. Simply put, a 6 month old does not have the "processing power" to decide to cry "just to see what my parents do" and then experience "remorse." They just aren't that developed. You're using the "depth" of the memory of proof it exists, whereas I'm saying the depth of the memory is exactly what proves it isn't accurate.

let's face it, to imply that people can't remember things at a very young age would imply you could abuse a child up until a point where they can reliably remember things yet we know the case to be otherwise.

I'm not saying we have no memories of young ages, I certainly have some "memories" of those years; what I'm saying is that many people significantly overestimate the accuracy with which they recall these events. This is why witness testimony is so flawed (and here we're talking about recent events).

 

[HeXen]

I can remember most everything in pretty good detail as far back as 4 years old, I know their still accurate because my I've asked my mom about them before. I even remember what the apt looked like that we lived in at that age and I even recall subtle details like my mom burning grill cheese sandwiches...probably why I like burnt food.

Now my earlier memories are basically just vague images. I remember crawling still and I was put into the laundry room and they closed the door, I recall looking under the door and seeing the shadow reflections off the floor of people moving about.

Life was great back then, always full of energy, everything seemed fun, filled with that sense of wonder. Just going outside and running through the grass was exciting....wish I could feel that way again. Nowadays if you see me running, you better run with me because there's some bad mojo heading my way.

 

[tortillasoup]

Again, my end of the argument would be that she is using her current understanding to develop context around a memory of which she may or may not even actually have a piece. Something like "I now know what it's like to do something to see someone's reaction and feel remorse." + "I have a memory of (or a memory of seeing a picture of) my first home." = A "memory" she once had. Simply put, a 6 month old does not have the "processing power" to decide to cry "just to see what my parents do" and then experience "remorse." They just aren't that developed. You're using the "depth" of the memory of proof it exists, whereas I'm saying the depth of the memory is exactly what proves it isn't accurate.

But I don't agree with this because it implies that babies are stupid and are incapable of decision making. Babies don't HAVE to be stupid, they're just uneducated and weak.

I'm not saying we have no memories of young ages, I certainly have some "memories" of those years; what I'm saying is that many people significantly overestimate the accuracy with which they recall these events. This is why witness testimony is so flawed (and here we're talking about recent events).

Well that might be true if it's a false memory, especially one that is created by knowing information about the events but when people have distinct memories that only they have about events others never told them about, then I'd say there might be something to it.

 

[TheVrolok]

But I don't agree with this because it implies that babies are stupid and are incapable of decision making. Babies don't HAVE to be stupid, they're just uneducated and weak.

Are you just trolling, or simply ignorant (and I don't mean that in a negative way) of brain development?

 

[Jaskalas]

I definitely don't remember anything as a toddler and earlier. Everything I did, I was standing up.

Is this about normal for how an average person remembers about early childhood?

I too was standing up and walking around.
I'd guess my long term memory begins at around age 3.

 

[tortillasoup]

Are you just trolling, or simply ignorant (and I don't mean that in a negative way) of brain development?

I think there is a large disconnect between how scientists think brain development works and how it actually works. I don't believe they're 100% accurate on how it works and to whom it applies to. Also not everybody develops identically. Have you seen how chemists try to explain how anti-depressants work and how they "treat" patients, yet all evidence indicates they have little idea how these chemicals work and that the only purpose of these medications is to hope that it keeps a person stable long enough to get therapy as these medications are not capable of long term treatment. I mean one type of drug alone, SSRIs, and the way chemists/scientists explain how it works shows the great divide between what they know about these drugs and how they actually work.


So if they think they can speak for the development of babies and make a presumption that there aren't ANY babies that are incapable of self awareness and thinking, then they're too arrogant to even worth considering listening to.

 

[Squisher]

Had to spend overnight in the hospital when I was 2 years old because I got knocked out by a swing. I pleaded with my parents not to leave me to the point where they were forced to lie to me and say that they were going to be right back even though they were leaving me overnight. My only real memory is laying there seething with anger that they would lie to me.

I have no memory of this, but I guess when they came to pick me up I punched my mother and screamed, "you lied to me!".

 

[TheVrolok]

I think there is a large disconnect between how scientists think brain development works and how it actually works. I don't believe they're 100% accurate on how it works and to whom it applies to. Also not everybody develops identically. Have you seen how chemists try to explain how anti-depressants work and how they "treat" patients, yet all evidence indicates they have little idea how these chemicals work and that the only purpose of these medications is to hope that it keeps a person stable long enough to get therapy as these medications are not capable of long term treatment. I mean one type of drug alone, SSRIs, and the way chemists/scientists explain how it works shows the great divide between what they know about these drugs and how they actually work.

So if they think they can speak for the development of babies and make a presumption that there aren't ANY babies that are incapable of self awareness and thinking, then they're too arrogant to even worth considering listening to.

You could have just said "Yes," it would have been a lot less typing. The amount of logic fail above is, well, yeah. You may think whatever you please, just realize it comes from a large place of ignorance.

 

[tortillasoup]

You could have just said "Yes," it would have been a lot less typing. The amount of logic fail above is, well, yeah. You may think whatever you please, just realize it comes from a large place of ignorance.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/05/infant-memory-works-from-very-early.php

http://brainconnection.brainhq.com/...forgotten-the-mystery-behind-infant-memories/

 

[TheVrolok]

http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/05/infant-memory-works-from-very-early.php

http://brainconnection.brainhq.com/...forgotten-the-mystery-behind-infant-memories/

You chose 2 blog posts with minimal citations (one author is cited in both blogs, and those papers are from 69 and 99) as your "data?" You're really just proving my point here.

 

[Zodiark1593]

Lets see, the earliest memory I have is of a car accident that occured when I was about 11 months old.

I remember a lot of the old appartment the parents lived in, and my first zoo trip at 2 years old. I also remember how slow the driving on the main road was at night before No Cruising ordinances were implemented. I also vividly remember the meeting with the landlord when they rented their first actual house, again, about 2 and a half. I remember my 3rd and 4th birthdays quite well, including the time I flipped my own birthday cake in the box upside down and got in trouble for it.

I seem to be somewhat beyond average when it comes to recalling my childhood. I can even accurately recall many emotions I felt as a child

 

[K7SN]

Memory is a funny thing and significantly more fluid and variable than most people realize. I suspect that none of you truly have memories of cribs days and have rather conjured up these memories which you honestly believe to be real. It's an incredibly fascinating subject with a lot of good TED talks

I humbly agree with you BUT in my studies of the workings of the brain (I entertained getting a PhD in AI but never finished) there is very good evidence that the brain retains everything in your life to a very specific detail (All our senses - sight, smell, touch, sound and perhaps sensory input we have not realized yet) like a series of pictures with sound, Look up the work of Wilder Penfield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilder_Penfield
for more information. Most if not all of us can not access those memories. Also the access mechanism doesn't begin to fully develop until most of us are out of the crib and most are no longer breastfeed. Exceptions; some babies are breastfeed till they are five, some kids confined to a crib almost that long.

The difference is long term and short term memory. Our short term memory literally works when we come out of the box (pun not intended for you cesarean born) and confined to distinct portion of the brain Think of it as cache with a finite size so new experiences are replacing previous experience and you not going to retain getting swatted on the butt to make you breath when more immediately important things (Being hungry, wet, soled diapers or tired). We even learn in the womb (listening to Bach or reciting the times tables appears to improve your child's cognitive powers for a lifetime once they exit the womb).

Our early memories are stored in is short term (easily accessed) memory and the synaptic paths to the long term storage (think of the much of the brain as a hard drive with tremendous storage that never gets defragged) just don't get developed. Every time you access long term memory you improve the synaptic path an thus certain important facts do get retained by the third year of ones life (sometime after your 2nd birthday normally) but if you don't access those often you lose the ability to access them consciously at all.

The human brain builds and by 2 and a half we are developing more than rudimentary synaptic paths to specific bits of knowledge (long term memory) I say that because as we built the synaptic paths (how we access) we only build paths to the important stuff and the fluff is lost to most all of us. (Photographic memory and total recall being exceptions).

There are other parts of the brain that handle motor skills, unconscious memory like telling the body to breathe, etc.) The we have only scratch the surface of understanding the complexity If we can ever interface a computer to a human brain think of the computational power we could develop (I'm rambling).

I do agree with you that it is "...an incredibly fascinating subject..." that if we can ever figure out how the various parts of the brain interconnect we can truly develop AI. Example were trapped in crib and we want to escape so we try new things (climbing out, crying out, breaking out) until we are distracted by a mobile, a rattle or we succeed (Mom picks us up). Like a dog trying to retrieve a treat we demonstrate intelligence from at least birth. We know so little of how our brains or a dog's brain accomplish this we are still unsuccessful at developing AI.

 

[njdevilsfan87]

I have a memory from within the crib. Though I'm not sure on its accuracy. What I remember is finding an Oreo in the crib. I'm not sure how it got there, or if it even was an Oreo. But I do remember trying to eat it, "thinking" it tasted horrible, and spitting it out all over my pillow. I then fell asleep shortly after.

The next earliest one I have is the day I had my diapers removed. I don't know how old, but definitely well before 3 where a lot more memories are present. I remember how different it felt to not have diapers on. And having no clue what to do when I had to take a crap. I just stood there, trying to hold it in. My older brother realized what was happening, picked me up, and rushed me to the toilet. It was too late. :$