How Do You See Your Memories?

[BlairLuxe]

This thread is inspired by a question posed in Models Only, but there was a bit of interest in a whole thread dedicated to the question.

The original question was: "I have a weird sort of psychology/philosophy kind of question: Think back on a memory in your past, how do you see it? Not actually sure what the answers indicate, I'm mostly curious how everyone's mind works when looking back on the past."

I didn't pose the question originally, and I don't know if the person who did wants to be named although she said I could make a thread. Because it was in model's only, I'll let her decide if she wants to take credit for the awesome question.

I thought it was a pretty interesting question. I hadn't really ever stopped to think about what my memories look like before now.

I highly recommend coming up with your answer BEFORE you read other people's answers, so that what others say doesn't influence how you remember things. Just close your eyes, think of a memory or two from the past, and think of what the memory looks like. If you want to include other sensations like touch, sound, smell, etc. feel free.

 

[BlairLuxe]

I will start by sharing my answer from MO!

Spoiler: So I don't influence others' answers

I guess I probably should have used a memory that is less weighty, but the first memory that came to mind was when I found (my cat) as a kitten. He was nearly dead and only 4 weeks old or so, and as a 13 year old girl, it was very scary. I remember it in chunks, but in chunks of very vivid first person view basically like playing a first person game. I don't know if my vivid memory has anything to do with the situation being very high stress, because I was on a total adrenaline rush the second I realized what was going on. I'm trying to think of another memory that vivid that was not a high adrenaline or "survival" type situation, and I can't. I do know that I have very few memories where I am actually looking at myself, outside of looking in a mirror. I think they're pretty much always first person but sort of fuzzy or maybe with patches of dark that I can't see.

My very first memory in my whole life was my mother holding me in the night in a chair in the living room, and I can remember feeling what it was like to be held, but the strongest part of that memory is the lighting. There was a lamp by the chair, and it filled the area with a soft, warm glow with a yellow/gold tint. I can't see myself in the memory, and as I look around, all I see is warm light that is brightest in the center and diffuses out into dimmer light. In the memory I can remember exactly how it felt to be cradled by my mom, but I don't see her. This is a memory I've had since I was a child, so I'm inclined to think I didn't just unwittingly invent this memory over time. I am sure that I was very young in that memory, though, maybe 2.

 

[AuroraKnight]

This is a cool thread

Spoiler

I always see my memories from a first person view, and it's almost like reliving everything with a serious head cold, everything is kinda muffled and a bit hazy.

 

[lightbulbee]

Spoiler

I see the memory as if I were watching a 3D movie. I'm somehow in the scene even though I'm kind of watching it from an outside perspective. Colours are bright, the picture is blurred and crisp at the same time. Like it's crisp in general but I can't see any details as it gets blurred the more I "zoom in". I'd say that sound is more prevalent in my memories than pictures. Sometimes it feels like I hear the narrative of the memory in my head and this narrative creates some pictures..... Damn, that's super difficult to explain. I can't even explain it properly in my mother tongue ...haha

 

[Ambers Troll]

Spoiler

I receive memories very much analytically, with no clear picture, sound or smells, physically they are dull but usually quite complete. I feel the emotion of them very strongly and clearly. Luckily they don't tend to come to me unless I want to access them, as there are many I don't want to access unless needed.
I have had a repressed memory, that only returned to me as false when I read a letter from the past. I see such things as a kindness by my mind as I have always had a good memory.

My first clear memory was just a sensation and laughter, touching all the other neighborhood kids as we buried ourselves in the autumn leaves.

 

[eyeteach]

I'm on an old iPad and not sure how to "spoiler" my answer; can someone point me in the proper direction for that? Then I'll answer.

 

[Sevrin]

I'm on an old iPad and not sure how to "spoiler" my answer; can someone point me in the proper direction for that? Then I'll answer.

This is the code.

[SPOILER]The spoily thing.[/SPOILER]

 

[fandango]

Wow this is an interesting read, I had no idea people even processed their memories in such different ways.

Spoiler

When I think of a memory its exactly the same as it was when I was living it. As in watching it happen again through my own eyes. I don't really think about any smells or sounds though unless that is specifically what I am trying to recall.

 

[JerryBoBerry]

I'm on an old iPad and not sure how to "spoiler" my answer; can someone point me in the proper direction for that? Then I'll answer.

Spoiler: Title of spoiler, you'll see.

The plus symbol when your are replying. Hit that, click spoiler. Type in between the code.

The plus symbol when your are replying. Hit that, click spoiler. Type in between the code.

 

[BlairLuxe]

To add on to this, sort of related, what senses bring back memories most for you guys, if any? I'm a really sensory person, and also faultily sentimental, so my senses definitely tie very strongly to my memories. This is particularly true of smells. Just the other day I was out with my mom, and she had me smell a hand soap at a store, and it smelled exactly like a melted pink Otter Pop. For non-US people (do non-US people have freeze pops like this?), Otter Pops are long plastic tubes of various toxic dyes and flavors mixed with sugar and water, that you bring home from the store completely room temperature and freeze yourself. You cut the top off and squeeze the bottom to turtle the pop out of there to eat, while your hands are completely safe from stickiness because you hold the plastic part. Don't get me wrong, eating an Otter Pop is not safe, because you very well will cut the corners of your mouth on the cheap plastic and they also make your hand uncomfortably cold. The end is always melted and the correct way to handle that is to drink it. They kind of make your teeth itchy but it's worth it. Each flavor of otter pop has a cute otter character associated with it. It's cute.

Anyway, see how I get side tracked just from thinking about that smell? I fucking loved those things. I can't help but remember all of the lip injuries and white cold hands I got from those things. The smell sent me straight into a sea of memories about summers as a kid, too.

(Side note, I just looked up the otter pop website because I couldn't remember all of the otter's names, and under the otter names/flavors it said "to view nutrition facts, click the flavors above!" and when you click, you just get an empty popup with no nutrition facts in it, and if that's not the most hilarious and appropriate thing I've ever seen I don't know what is. )

 

[JerryBoBerry]

I'm on an old iPad

Yes, I see now it was just the 'ipad' part that was the problem. Too late to delete my other post. Oops.

 

[zippypinhead]

Spoiler: Take A Look Into My Mind...

I have always had a hard time visualizing things, so memories generally end up as sort of emotional impressions and a bit of my brain straight up saying something like, "remember that time...?"

Quick edit to add: I'm also not so great at remembering things in general. My sister and mom have long, reminiscent conversations about our childhood, and I hardly recall a lick of it. Oddly, though, I do have strong attachments to physical objects. I may not remember big events in my life, but I do remember every toy I've ever owned. Also, while I'm terrible with names, I'm also very good at recalling information and sources and stuff like movies and songs. Honestly, I'm not sure what that says about me.

 

[ExcellaExe]

I see my memories as flashes of images and sounds. I'm a visual artist, meaning I work with paint and stuff, and I've been told this isn't unusual. I also think that trying to remember things is like holding water in my hands, the harder I try the harder it is.

 

[AuroraKnight]

To add on to this, sort of related, what senses bring back memories most for you guys, if any? I'm a really sensory person, and also faultily sentimental, so my senses definitely tie very strongly to my memories. This is particularly true of smells. Just the other day I was out with my mom, and she had me smell a hand soap at a store, and it smelled exactly like a melted pink Otter Pop. For non-US people (do non-US people have freeze pops like this?), Otter Pops are long plastic tubes of various toxic dyes and flavors mixed with sugar and water, that you bring home from the store completely room temperature and freeze yourself. You cut the top off and squeeze the bottom to turtle the pop out of there to eat, while your hands are completely safe from stickiness because you hold the plastic part. Don't get me wrong, eating an Otter Pop is not safe, because you very well will cut the corners of your mouth on the cheap plastic and they also make your hand uncomfortably cold. The end is always melted and the correct way to handle that is to drink it. They kind of make your teeth itchy but it's worth it. Each flavor of otter pop has a cute otter character associated with it. It's cute.

Anyway, see how I get side tracked just from thinking about that smell? I fucking loved those things. I can't help but remember all of the lip injuries and white cold hands I got from those things. The smell sent me straight into a sea of memories about summers as a kid, too.

(Side note, I just looked up the otter pop website because I couldn't remember all of the otter's names, and under the otter names/flavors it said "to view nutrition facts, click the flavors above!" and when you click, you just get an empty popup with no nutrition facts in it, and if that's not the most hilarious and appropriate thing I've ever seen I don't know what is. )

This is the closest thing I could think of that we have in the US, no cute characters, but everything else is the same, right down to the corners of your mouth being shredded by the plastic.

 

[Ann_Sulu]

Though I've briefly thought about it before, I dismissed the thoughts I had about it due to it being rather difficult for me to quickly explain. I read this post, and had to go to the store for groceries, and really thought about it while there. I think I figured out a few things about me I hadn't really considered before, so much appreciated for the puzzle-solving to keep me from being bored in the store. ^.^

Spoiler

Not sure if there's anything specific to include other than how I recall...recalling, but I find the way brains work interesting nonetheless. Ever since I can remember I've always had highly sensitive nerves. Due to this if something feels similar to a texture I once felt, I'll get something of a flashback to an event and immediately recall the summery of my emotions to the event as well as any reactions I noticed of anyone around. This can deal with weather and temperature as well.

One important thing to note- I was tested and passed with flying colors very early on in life for obsessive compulsive disorder. Now the problem with this is if you're OCD and anxious time this can cause false memories...which sucks. Thankfully I also am very obsessive about record keeping and journaling (often as things happen. I'm a weirdo who often sends texts to herself notes and saves a doc on things like google drive and even have backups elsewhere "just in case", as I'm sure this would be a major issue if I didn't see the evidence of my doubt being a non-issue. For me, it's not that I get amnesia of the event replaced with what my OCD says, but rather two events and I can't remember for sure which one is real since I can remember even down to the last sensory detail (that didn't necessarily happen.) Just like most with the issue, I have my compulsive rituals as well...oddly enough I barely remember them unless I have the repeat them more than normal (such as I lose count and have to start something over). I don't like to rely on memories and instinct that I don't have notes on for this reason.

Although my brain loves attention to detail and my memories can be so engrossing at times I can really feel I'm there looking through the eyes of my past self...there are certain things it refuses to remember. Until the age of 27 I had a condition caused by lack of serotonin which made me to a form of dyslexia that affected both my hearing and vision. If I feel I already have an easy means of looking up a fact, I won't go out of my way to make a memory out of it. For instance, I haven't remembered a single phone number of mine or others since the I lived with my parents (and I only knew that house number that I always had since birth). Is the number in my phone? Good! I don't have to take up space or waste time memorizing it. I'm sure if I didn't have such a mental block against wanting to bother with it at the moment, I would be able to simply look at things like a number and just remember it, but since for so long I expected to remember everything but lettering/numbers in a photographic way...it'll take my brain a good minute to care to decide it's time for that cognitive training.

Something related to that though I find funny...I've always been able to remember how a persons voice sounds, but could rarely remember the words they said due to my hearing problem. Think of the memory of the voice being say so muffled that you couldn't understand what they were saying, but you knew who was saying it. To remember what the context of what they were talking about was, I would make a mental summary of it.

Nowadays I can actually remember things people say word for word which is cool, so I figure when I actually bother to try I'll be about to remember phone numbers. I hadn't actually thought about the fact that I hadn't bothered to pay attention enough to try it until now lol.

I can't come up with anything else to add right now, so I suppose I'll leave it there. This post gave me a lot to mull over, so thanks! It was fun. ^.^

 

[KylieJacobs]

Spoiler

I remember most things from my childhood like a somewhat blurry movie with clear bits and pieces of it. There is a smell from a particular type of eraser though, that always brings back memories from kindergarten... Toys and other objects seem to bring back childhood memories also.

When I misplace things, anytime that I remember where I placed it, it always comes as a visual flash of where it is, which is very helpful.

 

[AlyssaYoung]

This is really interesting, I never thought about it before.

Spoiler

I always see all my memories from the third person, as if I am watching myself. I don't know if that is weird or not, but now I am trying to picture some of my memories from the first person. LOL