I recall back to a memory of when I was 6 years old and I went kite flying with my mom and my cousin. She wrote down the details she recalled and ours differ a lot. We remember the same weather and the same setting. I didn't remember being with my uncle until she mentioned it. She remembers a lot more than me such as the colors of my kite and me liking it most when the kite flew around really crazily. I also didn't remember getting ice cream after kite flying and sitting on my mom's shoulders while my cousin was on her dad's. I remember being excited to see butterflies flying around and my mom didn't. I find it really peculiar though that I thought one of our kites got stuck in a tree when it really didn't happen. That's a good example of an existence proof. My mom clearly remembered more details than I did due to me just being a young child. I also recalled some events after my mom brought them up such as visiting the kite shop and looking at all the cool kites. It's weird how long-term memory works. Encoding, storage, and retrieval were definitely at work during this situation. I really wonder how exactly you would know the difference of forgetting a memory caused by retroactive interference compared to retrograde amnesia.
Flying kites with my uncle too?
I still find it crazy how long term memory works. It still baffles me how we can be completely convinced how a certain event just based off how we remember it compared to what actually went down. It's also interesting to see another persons' perspective on the same event. It is cool to compare and contrast what each person remembered and what was most important to them.
Long term memory is a very odd thing! Your story reminds me of the many times that I insist on remembering an event of my childhood and my mother having to correct my memory. You did a very good job of using practical application to explain the concept of existence proof.
What do you think influenced your coding of this memory versus the others?
It still just blows my mind how common the creation of memories in our minds takes place. When I reflect back on memories such as this one, I too experience the same deficits in retrieval, encoding, and storage. I also look back on memories of mine (some recent as high school) that my friends and I argue about how they transgressed. An example would be which restaurant a specific funny memory of ours took place. We all passionately defend it took place at different restaurants. I still believe my statement, but learning about long term memories humbles me to a degree and makes me question whether or not I'm wrong. I'm glad to see it's a common event, and that I'm not going crazy!
I have many memories like this that my parent remember better and differently. Many times when my parents tell stories to others, that I believe I remember correctly, I am surprised at how much more to the story there is. I only remember parts but it seems to be the whole memory. It very interesting how our brains store the information and how we retrieve it and are able to remember it.
In my case it is often really interesting that I remember memories long ago better than my parents. I can recall som situations better than my parents do, for example, feelings and details. Sometimes there are memories which my parents don't remember but I do. I think the way long-term memory works is suprizing. Its capacity is immense. I wonder memories from which age are reliable.
I think memory is one of the coolest topics in this book. It's crazy how we only remember some things and not others. I wonder why we remember only certain things. One of the coolest things I think is those people that can remember almost everything they did and even recall certain dates that they did things. I wonder if this would be considered a gift or a curse.
I think it is so interesting that you found this pattern because I have reminisced past memories with my dad multiple times and have found that I remember many more details that he does, and I was only around three years old! I have always wondered if it had something to do with these events being more significant to me than he found them, so they were never stored in his long term memory. I also find it very interesting that you did not know your uncle was there. It is funny that we can remember childhood situations fairly vividly yet not even remember who we were with.
This has happened to me too where I've told my mom a memory and she's had to correct a few details, or she's told me something of when I was younger, and then suddenly I could remember it. After learning about how false memories could be implanted, I've wondered if that has ever unintentionally happened to me when my parents tell me something or I saw something on TV years ago.
This subject is really interesting to me too. It is weird how you think you had a memory, but instead you remember later that you actually dreamt it, or remembered that a friend was the one that had had the experience, and you were just listening to it. Childhood memories are hard to remember too; it's always better to consult the parents of the memory if they were there!
The whole idea behinds memories and their lack of reliability at times intrigues me as well. I can recall several times after waking up from a dream wondering to myself whether it was a dream, or a memory, and how not being sure was unsettling.
This is very interesting to me. I too remember things but very vaguely, and sometime my parents have to remind me where I was and what happened. The existence proof is interesting in a way where older people remember things better simply because they have been on this earth longer than the younger people. Also, retrieval is very cool in a way where the mind can retrieve old memories that are buried deep in our brains. Sometimes its just a matter of how it can spark our brains into remembering that old event.