Your Earliest Memories & are Memories Subjective?

Lori Lancaster | March 15, 2003
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Jackie Mason | March 17, 2003
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Scott Hardie | March 18, 2003
I'm the one Lori mentioned with the artificial memories. In recent years I've discussed my early life with my mother and told her about some of my earliest memories, but she has said I remember things that are impossible. My earliest memory is her being up very early one morning, before dawn, and feeding seven kittens in the kitchen. Our family cat indeed had seven kittens, but I was still in the womb at the time; six of the kittens were given away before I was born. I imagined this scene based on stories told to me about that litter. Another early memory is waiting by the big front window of that same house for my grandparents to arrive. Finally their rental car (a Caddy, no surprise) pulled up and they got out, and I ran into the kitchen telling my mom that they were here. The problem is, my grandparents never visited us in Illinois, before I was born or after. I don't know how this became a memory... Was it a dream? A fantasy? Somebody else who I thought were my grandparents? Something happened that created the memory. That's why I don't think my memory is bad even though that incident never happened: Whatever it was, I can still remember it vividly, more than twenty years later.

Here's what I want to know: Is vivid recollection of early childhood incidents the only measure (or even the best measure) of a good memory?

Lori Lancaster | March 18, 2003
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Anna Gregoline | March 19, 2003
Does anyone have an annoying or upsetting memory that you can't place anywhere? Sometimes I'll hear someone speaking very slowly and carefully, and it reminds me of this voice speaking to me in this horrible "you're stupid" condescending way, yet syrupy sweet. It makes me want to scream and cry at the same time. Frustrations from childhood?