Natalia_Taffarel wrote:
The brain registers a lot more than you perceive, same with memories.
There's different kinds of memory - implicit/explicit or conscious and unconscious
Or repressed.

We don't know how ever if the brain keeps EVERYTHING since science hardly ever is about absolutes.

It sure "remembers" a lot more than you do.

Including, unfortunately, things which it made up.

Memory is plastic.

Patrick Walberg wrote:
My cellphone is a smart phone.  It remembers more than I do.

More than you remember consciously.  But is that all you remember?

photographybyStavros wrote:
From the point of view of someone with a brain injury, me. I often wonder how my long term memory works so well. And my short term memory. Not so much. I am forty seven years old. And I can remember things from my childhood, good and bad, like it happened yesterday. I can recall names of old childhood friends I've not seen in decades.

I can tell you that I learn differently from "the norm". Once I learn something, it's there. It's just a matter of recall. There have been times when I struggle to remember something. And then I just give up. And all of a sudden, bam! People that don't know me, or my struggles, get mad, sometimes. I don't talk about it often. And in some cases I don't talk about it nearly enough. I was born hydrochephalic. Commonly known as "water on the brain".   Steve

I know childhood phone numbers that I haven't dialed since I was about 11 yrs old.

Yet it took me nearly 2 yrs to memorize my own cell # and my husbands. I even still get stumped on them sometimes. My short term memory sucks.

Kelli wrote:
I know childhood phone numbers that I haven't dialed since I was about 11 yrs old.

Yet it took me nearly 2 yrs to memorize my own cell # and my husbands. I even still get stumped on them sometimes. My short term memory sucks.

I just remembered this, actually i never forgot it.
Einstein couldn’t remember his own phone number. “Why should I bother,” he said, “when I can look it up?”

photographybyStavros wrote:
From the point of view of someone with a brain injury, me. I often wonder how my long term memory works so well. And my short term memory. Not so much. I am forty seven years old. And I can remember things from my childhood, good and bad, like it happened yesterday. I can recall names of old childhood friends I've not seen in decades.

I can tell you that I learn differently from "the norm". Once I learn something, it's there. It's just a matter of recall. There have been times when I struggle to remember something. And then I just give up. And all of a sudden, bam! People that don't know me, or my struggles, get mad, sometimes. I don't talk about it often. And in some cases I don't talk about it nearly enough. I was born hydrochephalic. Commonly known as "water on the brain".   Steve

I hear that.  TBI's suck.  Which brings up an interesting point - amnesia.  In the case of my brain injury, I suffered total amnesia of the incident (which, logically thinking, is probably a very good thing, although it drives me insane at times).  Some people eventually recover amnesic memories, while others never do.

For those who never do (which they suspect I'll be in), are our brains that successful at quarantining off the memory, despite repeated efforts to remember it?  Or, in an attempt to prevent the rest of the mind from ever remembering it, did that portion of the brain simply opt to NOT retain the information?  Is that part of my life really 100%, completely forgotten?

(After typing that, and having thought about that possibility for the first time, it's extremely scary, and more than a little depressing.)

photographybyStavros wrote:
From the point of view of someone with a brain injury, me. I often wonder how my long term memory works so well. And my short term memory. Not so much. I am forty seven years old. And I can remember things from my childhood, good and bad, like it happened yesterday. I can recall names of old childhood friends I've not seen in decades.

I can tell you that I learn differently from "the norm". Once I learn something, it's there. It's just a matter of recall. There have been times when I struggle to remember something. And then I just give up. And all of a sudden, bam! People that don't know me, or my struggles, get mad, sometimes. I don't talk about it often. And in some cases I don't talk about it nearly enough. I was born hydrochephalic. Commonly known as "water on the brain".   Steve

Kyle T Edwards wrote:
I hear that.  TBI's suck.  Which brings up an interesting point - amnesia.  In the case of my brain injury, I suffered total amnesia of the incident (which, logically thinking, is probably a very good thing, although it drives me insane at times).  Some people eventually recover amnesic memories, while others never do.

For those who never do (which they suspect I'll be in), are our brains that successful at quarantining off the memory, despite repeated efforts to remember it?  Or, in an attempt to prevent the rest of the mind from ever remembering it, did that portion of the brain simply opt to NOT retain the information?  Is that part of my life really 100%, completely forgotten?

(After typing that, and having thought about that possibility for the first time, it's extremely scary, and more than a little depressing.)

I'm clicking on the Like button.

AdelaideJohn1967 wrote:
Only if you are like the character played by the lovely Poppy Montgomery

Actually, Hyperthymesia is a real condition shared by a couple hundred people in the world, where they can remember details from their every day life for decades.  The actress Marilou Henner (from the TV show "Taxi") has this condition.

I suspect that it is nothing like the "Unforgettable" character, played by Poppy Montgomery.  Still it's pretty interesting, and gives credence to the possibility of the brain to remember "everything".

Looknsee Photography wrote:

Actually, Hyperthymesia is a real condition share by a couple hundred people in the world, where they can remember details from their every day life for decades.  The actress Marilou Henner (from the TV show "Taxi") has this condition.

I suspect that it is nothing like the "Unforgettable" character, played by Poppy Montgomery.  Still it's pretty interesting, and gives credence to the possibility of the brain to remember "everything".

It certainly does.

Feverstockphoto wrote:

I just remembered this, actually i never forgot it.
Einstein couldn’t remember his own phone number. “Why should I bother,” he said, “when I can look it up?”

How many people still memorize phone numbers now that our phones do it for us?  I remember every phone number I have had and those of friends and family up until the smart phone age. There are people I talk to and text regularly, but I couldn't tell you their phone numbers for love or money.

On the other end of the memory spectrum, my earliest memory is of the night my sister, Loretta, was born - I was three at the time.  Mom didn't make it to the hospital, so "Cousin Pauline", a retired midwife who lived in the neighborhood, handled things. There was a lot of excitement going on in the house and my grandmother would not allow me to go into my parent's bedroom, which seemed to me to be the center of activity.  While "Cousin Pauline" was leaving, I managed to sneak in and have a peek at what was going on.  Mom was holding my brand new sister, and having never seen a red, squishy looking newborn before, I considered her the ugliest thing I had ever seen before!

Bob Helm Photography wrote:
I think I remember hearing that but do not remember where.
I think our mind is a lot like my desk, I know it is there somewhere just not sure where. What were we discussing?

Grapefruits, and why they don't taste like oranges.

Vivus Hussein Denuo wrote:
Grapefruits, and why they don't taste like oranges.

cept chicken....everything taste like chicken cept chicken...and kiwi...

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

Vivus Hussein Denuo wrote:
Sometimes we have flashback memories of something we haven't thought about in years.  Is the brain just selecting random memories to show us, from its vast storehouse of memories?  How big is that storehouse?  Does it include everything we've ever experienced?  Deeds, emotions, images, sounds, smells...everything?

Infinite storage space.

Recalling information is the part that evolution hasn't done very well at.  Then again, maybe not remembering some things is mean to protect us.

no...no...no...not my penis...don't cut it...please!! If I could have talked back then instead of just screaming!! hmm...it does look nice though...good work doc!!

Vivus Hussein Denuo wrote:

Grapefruits, and why they don't taste like oranges.

I like oranges but like apples better. Like blondes too.

Vivus Hussein Denuo wrote:
How many humongabytes is the brain's capacity?  Imagine 5 minutes in a life.  The brain experiences input that is visual, aural, tactical, olfactory, etc.  Can the brain store all of that?  Now, imagine 30 years.

It's very highly compressed.  Think JPGs saved a 1...except the brain can do 0.000000001

That's probably why some memories are messed up.  It's not a good compression method.

Kelli wrote:

I know childhood phone numbers that I haven't dialed since I was about 11 yrs old.

Yet it took me nearly 2 yrs to memorize my own cell # and my husbands. I even still get stumped on them sometimes. My short term memory sucks.

One of my first ever combination locks.  if you were to ask me what the combo was, I could not tell you.  But I wouldn't be surprised that if you could actually locate that lock and put it in my hands, that I'd suddenly figure it out within a couple tries.  That's what happened MANY years ago. A lot I hadn't used in probably 5 years...I found it...unlocked it. Have no idea what I did with it...but I remember having no clue as to how to open it but after trying a couple numbers it unlocked...I'd say that time, I was in my early 20s and that was a lock I had used back in Jr. High.

DHayes Photography wrote:

How many people still memorize phone numbers now that our phones do it for us?  I remember every phone number I have had and those of friends and family up until the smart phone age. There are people I talk to and text regularly, but I couldn't tell you their phone numbers for love or money.

On the other end of the memory spectrum, my earliest memory is of the night my sister, Loretta, was born - I was three at the time.  Mom didn't make it to the hospital, so "Cousin Pauline", a retired midwife who lived in the neighborhood, handled things. There was a lot of excitement going on in the house and my grandmother would not allow me to go into my parent's bedroom, which seemed to me to be the center of activity.  While "Cousin Pauline" was leaving, I managed to sneak in and have a peek at what was going on.  Mom was holding my brand new sister, and having never seen a red, squishy looking newborn before, I considered her the ugliest thing I had ever seen before!

I have some very detailed memories from about age 4.  Maybe earlier...I don't know.  But I can still recall the swishing sound the plastic covering over my cloth diaper made when I ran to the front door to greet my older brother's friend Gary.  That would put me at what...age 2? 3?  when do kids typically get potty trained?  My other earliest memory would be my mom washing my diaper in a toilet...well...washing what I would presume to be the poop out...then probably rinsed as best as possible before putting into a regular washer.  But I can still see my mom sloshing it around in the toilet.  eew...gross memory!!

I believe that is the earliest I can remember.  all of my other vivid memories are likely 4 and older.