What is your first memory ?.

These days, We see children growing up a lot more closely. Thanks to Akshadha, Appu & Ani, kids from our friends & family circle in London.

They are in the 9-18 months age range.Every time we see them, to our Joy, they seem to recognize us. So they have their little memories !!. good enough proof to conclude that children have memories from 9 months?. Wait a second, No matter how hard I try, I can't remember a single thing from that age of mine.

In fact my earliest memory is when I am nearly 3 years old. not particularly a happy one. It's the sight of my father sitting with his head on his hands near the dead body of my grand father. Though I was too small to understand the whole idea of death, the image is still vivid on my memory.

So, Do I forget fast, let's cross check with my wife. her first memory is also at the age 3, predictably related to some choclate. Where did all our earlier memories go?. time to Google.

The answer Lies in Childhood Amnesia, a term used to refer to inability of adults to remember pretty much anything before the average age of 3. That's a relief !. Our cells are not dying, yet.

Wikipedia gives the following definition..

"Infantile, or childhood amnesia is characterized by the relative absence of memory before 3 or 4 years of age. It is important to note that the term does not refer to complete absence of memories, but the relative scarcity of memories during infancy — a scarcity that cannot be accounted for by a forgetting curve.[citation needed] Additionally, the boundary is malleable and can be influenced by both individual experiences (Usher & Neisser, 1993) and cultural factors (Wang, 2001). "

Want more ... read this one..
http://www.apa.org/science/psa/sb-bauer.html

Meanwhile, What is "your" first memory?.