Many people, when thinking about their past, do not clearly remember what they did, felt or thought. There is something like a memory void which lengthens during early life and that is common among all people. You may feel like you remember something, but the truth is that this memory will surely be suggested by a photograph or a comment from your family. Nobody has memories from 0 to 5 years of age. That is the conclusion they have reached in a scientific study that answers the question of “Why don’t I remember my childhood?”. If you want to know the answer, keep reading this Psychology-Online article where we will discover the results of said research.
Why don’t I remember my past or my childhood?
The researchers Paul Frankland and Sheena Josselyn They conducted a study about memory during the first years of life. They focused on trying to find out why we do not remember episodes from our childhood: emotions, moments or experiences from our early years are not usually remembered by our memory.
The reason for this situation is due to biological causes. Our production of neurons is very high when we are small. The brain of a person who has just been born has only a capacity of 25% of what will later develop. During the first 3 years of life, brain growth is very advanced since, in this period, an organ is achieved that is twice as large. Their growth continues to be very rapid until they are 5 years of age, at which point the speed begins to slow down. The human brain stops growing in adolescence, but this is when it begins to mature.
This entire brain and neuronal formation procedure is known as “neurogenesis” and it is what allows us to learn and remember more as we grow. But, according to the research carried out, another unexpected effect has been found: neurogenesis produces a effect of “erasure” of memories.
The study of childhood memories
In order to answer your question about why you don’t remember your childhood, let’s talk about the study that was published by Paul Frankland and Sheena Josselyn. Both doctors observed the brain behavior of young mice and compared them with that of older mice. They observed that there were differences in neuronal generation in the hippocampusthe area of the brain responsible for memories and learning.
The conclusions of said research were that in the first years of a person, a massive production of new neurons in the hippocampus. This causes that, during the first 5 years of age. Brain activity in the hippocampus is very high and active. Therefore, this dynamism prevents memories from being stored in a stable way.
As the years go by, we begin to store new memories that take up more space and, therefore, the most primary memories disappear from our minds. This explains the reasons why we can remember situations from when we were 6 or 7 years old but, however, it is impossible for us to remember something from when we were 2 or 3 years old.
From the age of 5 is when neuronal activity stabilizes and remains more stable. Therefore, from then on we can begin to store memories.
Why I don’t remember anything: the most common causes
Now that you know why you don’t remember your childhood, let’s go one step further. Lately, do you feel like you don’t remember things? Do you forget easily? Here we are going to discover some of the reasons why this situation may occur.
The first of all is to tell you that, to a greater or lesser extent, everyone forgets some things. Above all, as we age, our brain can begin to function more slowly and make some memories more easily forgotten. However, forgetting is something common and everyday, as long as it is punctual and spontaneous.
Causes why you don’t remember things
In our daily lives it is common for us to suffer some forgetfulness. Our memory is working every day and at all hours, but it is likely that it will fail us at some point. Above all, when we change our routine or habits we can notice how our brain has a harder time adapting to new memories. The cause of these small daily forgetfulness can be many. Here we discover the most frequent ones:
- Suffering from stress and/or anxiety: An altered state of the nerves can lead to memory loss. Your body is in tension and your mind will have a thousand things to deal with at the same time. So much pressure can end up causing some “failure”, that is, some forgetfulness.
- Depression: When you are in a depressive state, it is common for the brain to not function correctly and naturally. So, some functionalities such as storing memories can be affected by this mood. In this article we help you learn to.
- Menopause: Women with menopause may feel that their brain functions are affected. The reason is that the hormonal change experienced at this stage can affect the natural state of organs such as the brain.
- Craniocerebral trauma: Having suffered trauma to this area of the body can cause some complications with the storage of memories. In these cases, it is best to go to a neurologist to perform a detailed examination.
- Alcohol and drug abuse: These two toxins affect the state of our brain and, therefore, can damage some of its vital functions such as memory.
- Diseases: Some conditions such as hypertension, kidney problems, presence of cholesterol in the blood or thyroid disorders can also harm the health of our brain.
In this other article we discover the so that you know what you can do in this situation.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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References
- https://www.elconfidencial.com/alma-corazon-vida/2012-08-27/un-estudio-explica-por-que-no-tenemos-recollections-de-when-eramos-pequenos_401403/
- http://www.lavanguardia.com/vivo/psicologia/20160831/403459829577/por-que-no-recordamos-antes-tres-anos.html