Why Do We Remember things From Our Childhood?

[vorlon13]

I was thinking enema gnomes . . . .

[robvalue]

My memory is really weird since I got ME. My long term memory is nearly as good as before, but my short term memory is awful. I can forget something someone said to me 5 seconds ago, and not even realize there was anything to forget.

I also find it interesting to see how accurate my memory is. For an example, I used to play Street Fighter 2 all the time for years. A while after I finally stopped playing it, I had in my head what the music was like for various stages. I would hum it myself or even play it on the piano. Then my brother would say to me, "That bit's wrong!" I'd be like, "No way man! I know this fucking tune inside out!" It was clear as day in my head, I was convinced I was right.

Multiple times, I was not right. My brother had caught me out, my memory had got distorted. I had changed parts of the tunes, cut bits out, swapped orders, all kinds of things. When I went back and listened to the tunes from the game, they actually sounded wrong. My brain was protesting, saying, "Nah man, what's up here? They don't go like this!" But this was the actual game, there was no argueing with it.

[Angrboda]

I also find it interesting to see how accurate my memory is. For an example, I used to play Street Fighter 2 all the time for years. A while after I finally stopped playing it, I had in my head what the music was like for various stages. I would hum it myself or even play it on the piano. Then my brother would say to me, "That bit's wrong!" I'd be like, "No way man! I know this fucking tune inside out!" It was clear as day in my head, I was convinced I was right.

Multiple times, I was not right. My brother had caught me out, my memory had got distorted. I had changed parts of the tunes, cut bits out, swapped orders, all kinds of things. When I went back and listened to the tunes from the game, they actually sounded wrong. My brain was protesting, saying, "Nah man, what's up here? They don't go like this!" But this was the actual game, there was no argueing with it.

That's probably pretty normal. In psychotherapy, I had to retell my history with each new therapist. I'd be halfway into telling my story when suddenly I'd realize that I'd got it all wrong. I was just taking isolated bits and rearranging them and connecting them up so that it made sense, without regard to how things actually had happened. I suspect we make all sorts of memory errors, we're just so seldom put to the test on it. But if you've ever sat around with family recalling childhood events, it's clear that people remember things differently from each other, and from how things actually occurred.

[robvalue]

I see, yes that's interesting. I suspect it is often the case, memory is notoriously unreliable. It's weird how much false confidence you can have though in your own memories.

[vorlon13]

I was thinking enema gnomes . . . .

[emjay]

I see, yes that's interesting. I suspect it is often the case, memory is notoriously unreliable. It's weird how much false confidence you can have though in your own memories.

As I understand it, every time you think about a memory it changes. A neural network "stores" information in the strength of the synapses between neurons, and these strengths are continually changing based on the activation levels of neurons. Thinking/imagining something activates the same neurons that would be activated by external input (i.e. reality) but to a much lesser degree. Therefore every time you think about something it is like a toned down version of actually experiencing it. In other words the brain is always learning and updating and it essentially can't tell the difference between reality and thinking.

[robvalue]

Yes, I think I've heard that idea before. That's very interesting.

What the brain doesn't seem to do is record how much the memory changes or give you any kind of accurate confidence value. You're left to estimate it based on how long ago the original memory occurred, I suppose.

This is sort of related:

I find it fascinating how I can "see" images and "hear" sounds in my brain, purely from memory while I'm still seeing and hearing things actually happening around me. It's like I have an internal mini TV and stereo system. Trying to figure out "where" these images and sounds are is boggling. I suppose what you say does make sense of it though! If it is actually replaying the memory and feeding the result right back into your brain, you are sort of experiencing it. But the distinct nature of the input coming through your senses compared to the internal playback is really weird. I struggle to find language to adequately describe it. I can only describe it as some sort of "dual screen".

[abaris]

I was told that the body takes seven years to completely replace every cell. So all the cells I had seven years ago are gone.

First, that's an urban legend I grew up with too. Science has moved beyond that since.

Second, if it were true and you would forget everything you knew before your cells changed, you would pretty much forget who you are every now and then. It doesn't work that way of course and we do remember many things from decades ago. Although these memories should always be taken with a grain of salt, since we tend to reinvent them in parts. It's also true for witness statements where everyone saw something different. There have also been some recent experiments where scientists virtually created memories for their pro bands of things they never experienced in reality. And yet they all bought the created version.

[emjay]

Yes, I think I've heard that idea before. That's very interesting.

What the brain doesn't seem to do is record how much the memory changes or give you any kind of accurate confidence value. You're left to estimate it based on how long ago the original memory occurred, I suppose.

This is sort of related:

I find it fascinating how I can "see" images and "hear" sounds in my brain, purely from memory while I'm still seeing and hearing things actually happening around me. It's like I have an internal mini TV and stereo system. Trying to figure out "where" these images and sounds are is boggling. I suppose what you say does make sense of it though! If it is actually replaying the memory and feeding the result right back into your brain, you are sort of experiencing it. But the distinct nature of the input coming through your senses compared to the internal playback is really weird. I struggle to find language to adequately describe it. I can only describe it as some sort of "dual screen".

Are the images you pseudo-see and sounds you pseudo-hear as vivid as what you really see and hear? Some people can imagine things that vividly, but for me that 'pseudo-sensing' is very subtle. It's still high fidelity - I can replay a scene from TV and pseudo-hear everyone's accents and stuff - but it just doesn't 'shout out' like real hearing. I always thought I was doing self-hynosis etc wrong because I couldn't imagine such vivid impressions in my mind, but now I've accepted that it doesn't need to be vivid in that way because it is high fidelity even though it's 'quiet'. That said, sometimes when I'm coming out of a train of thought, I see colours fade for a second, so that makes me think that if you get deep enough lost in thought you will experience vivid qualia, but you can never catch yourself at it when you're in the objective state of mind. It's very annoying

[robvalue]

I find my visual is not very good at all. Blurry at best, sometimes completely lacking detail.

However my sound playback is amazing quality.

I'd be interested to hear what other people's playback is like! Maybe we should start a new thread?