What is your earliest memory?

[Adora]

I can remember little bits from the age 3 and onwards,I vaguely remember around the age of 3 or 4 wandering away from the backyard and ended up walking to the public school,apparently I went missing for a few hours before my parents found me at the school but I do remember being at that school when very little,I can also remember bits of my 4th birthday party too which was my birthday before we moved to another house in another area.

 

[Thursday]

I recall drawing on our wall with my Crayola...I was about 1-2. Also, crying when a neighbor tried to pick me up and biting my grandma around that time...I think it was the first time she failed to charm a baby (she was a pediatric nurse). There were also those times I sat in a corner of our laundry room with the "cow goes moo" toy, the one with a string you pull that speaks.

This is interesting...I didn't know it was unusual to have early memories.

 

[Warmheart]

Babyhood, yes! I remember being entranced by the fleur-de-lis pattern inside my stroller and crib (they were a set).
I remember when my world switched from being on my back or stomach, to being able to sit up. I recall being bathed in a mustard yellow plastic dishpan in the kitchen sink. I remember stimming vigorously in my crib. I recall the day diapers got switched to rubber panties. I remember being four months old, and being captivated by birds on a wire outside.

But, I may not remember what happened during the day today.

 

[SusanLR]

I can remember back to a point before I could sit up on my own. I was having my picture taken, though I didn't understand that at the time. I recall being propped up by these humongous hands and being caught as I tipped over. The owner of the hands (who I mistook for my grandfather) appeared a giant blur. A bright light then emanated from beside his head. I rather liked bright lights and would stare at light bulbs at that age (how times change) so that, combined with the experience of sitting up, made for a rather novel and memorable experience.

I can also recall having my diaper changed, escaping from my crib, waiting for my mom to come home, and many other instances going back to infancy. My memories aren't as clear as Susan's though. I find it rather impressive that you can even recall what people said going back to the day you were born.

Your memories seem the most like mine.
I have baby pictures that I remember being taken just as you do. My Mom's hand trying to keep me upright as I kept falling over. I had practically no hair at that age and was and still in white baby booties.
I remember diaper changes. Some with funny stories that went with them. Yes, my memories are as clear as if it were yesterday of infancy.

 

[SusanLR]

Language is a learned thing so it would be impossible for you to understand it in the first few days you were born...

That's a question I've always wondered also. Learning it later then remembering things that were said is a possiblity as WereBear pointed out. I have also, as have many people and science, wondered about the savant abilities. They almost appear to be born with the knowledge of their gift. It wasn't a special study for me in psychology and it could get into the field of philosophy or parascience. I saw an example of a savant that could be shown the first few notes of a complex classical piece and know what it was and play it. It's as if it is not really learned, just known.
For me it seemed I "thought" in words before I could speak because I remember thinking things and being frustrated at not being able to speak my mind.
An example of this happening: Once when my parents had gone shopping at the grocery store, at the check out there were many things behind the cashier. I saw the game box of Checkers and wanted it. I was just starting to make sounds and in my Dad's arm I started pointing and babbling something like " seckers". I had never seen anyone play checkers. The cashier thought I wanted suckers and kept plying me with them. I got frustrated and started crying. If I couldn't even talk yet, how could I have read Checkers on a box? This is only one example. There were others. The brain is complex and still much to learn.

Those who have the early memories, do you remember them as a picture or do you remember thoughts in words as you do today?

 

[Bro'Freak]

I can definitely remember walking for the first time & being washed in the kitchen as a baby. I'm not a 100% on one memory I recall but I feel that I can recall a moment soon after birth. I recall hanging upside down in the hospital I was born at with my twin sister. It'd been a caesarian birth due to my sisters umbilical cord having wrapped itself around my neck causing complications that put me under duress.

 

[John M]

I recall when I was 2 years old and in the hospital with pneumonia. They'd stick a needle in my foot (I assume drawing blood?) and I would freak out when the nurse came around with one. I recall a baby in a crib across from me and being given a bath in a yellow sink.

I have a memory of being in a crib at night and standing up and looking out the window. No idea how old I was then but I think its my first memory.

 

[abby normal]

I have a distinct memory from around 2 years of age, of being in the crib next to my mom's bed, it was early in the morning, sunrise, the curtains were drawn, I had the urge to be closer to my sleeping mom, so I crawled out of my crib and jumped upon her bed, awaking her with a "WHA???!!" and then she quickly grabbed me and set me back in my crib, then shoved the crib away against the far wall, then jumped back into bed with a huff "HMPH!" I remember being angry, and I started banging my head against the wall. then about the same age but a few months later, I had been placed in my own room at that time, in the crib, and I remember it was night time and my door was open wide enough to where I could see the tv set in the living room, it was black and white and the reception was snowy, and it was a tv commercial for NAPA auto parts, I remember seeing the old NAPA trapezoidal symbol on the screen.

 

[Calibar]

I think they start at around 2 for me. When I was almost 3 I have a distinct memory of begin at the beach with my family and relatives. My cousin pointed to a starfish and said it was a "sea star". I asked if stars weren't in the sky rather than in the sea.

When I was about two to three at my day care asked my father to raise me up so I could get a small branch of pine to give to my caretaker/educator.

 

[AshleyDS]

My earliest memories are around 2 or early 3. Days of sippy cups, my uncomfortable white Sandles and crying when my aunt came to pick me up from day care instead of my mom.

 

[Butterfly88]

About 3 I think. Unfortunately my first memories are of traumatic events. I remember vivid details which I would almost rather not know. I do think it may be different for traumatic memories than regular memories though.

 

[Jet Weiss]

I can only remember negative things from my early childhood, I have no positive memories from that time. The first thing I remember was my paternal grandmother screaming at me to stop crying (complete with the F word and calling me names). I was probably two years old.

 

[SusanLR]

Two of the funny diaper memories was one of laying on the bed as Mom was trying to do something for my diaper rash. Dad had just came home and told her to put Vicks on it as it should be cooling. Again, can't explain how, but, I thought NO. That will hurt. She did it anyway as I couldn't tell her why and I started crying.
Then when it was time to be potty trained I thought she was trying to trick me into doing something I shouldn't. Always knew I should have on a diaper. I knew where they were kept in the bedroom so I kept refusing to use the potty and would waddle off to the diapers, grab one and do my thing!
I remember my favourite thing to play with was an empty baby shampoo bottle at bath time. Squeezing it under the water then squeezing it back out to make bubbles. No rubber ducky.

 

[Aurellia]

All I remember from the age of two, is a blue tiled bathroom. Not much to go on, but that is the most I can accurately recall from that age, everything is either inaccurate, or from the age of three.
However, I can remember walking down the stairs at an old house in England. I have a lot of memories from when I was three, but putting them into words may haze the details.

My short term memory is abominable. I can forget what I was going to get just from walking up a set of stairs, sometimes just from walking around a corner.

It is a hilarious parallel, I can recall countless memories from my life in a decent level of detail, yet forget the simplest thing after ascending a set of stairs.

 

[DCA]

I can remember being in a crib, but I cannot remember how old I was. But if I was still in a crib, probably less than 3. My dad is dead unfortunately so I cannot verify what age I upgraded to a regular bed. Thinking toddler age.

The memory is quite clear for me: I was laying on my back looking at the opposite wall. There were shadows on the wall moving. I thought they were ghosts. I remember pushing my little fist through the bars, not quite accurately, banging on one rail.

Rationally speaking, that could have just been a vivid dream. Though I'm pretty convinced it's something that happened to me...

Edit: just asked my kid if she can remember her sister's birth. She has some memories she claims. She would have been 40mo old at that time.

 

[Progster]

My earliest memory is of being weighed. I was placed in in a large steel bowl with a while towel at the bottom. I saw it from above, as I was being carried. I don't know how old I was, but obviously not old enough to walk, I was being carried.

 

[SusanLR]

I'd say most of us here do remember infancy before the age of 3-4 yrs old, as science will say is impossible.
It is claimed our brains aren't developed enough before that to form memories, but, there are too
many that know this isn't so.

The one question that was presented on this thread was the part of how could I be born knowing
words.
I have done some studies on when a baby first hears and how consciousness levels develop since I first posted this thread.
Again, it doesn't match with the presented time line that the scientific study gave, but, it gave me some ideas.

Just as it is now being found memories from generations past can be passed down genetically which
could explain a lot of the reincarnation theory memories.
The hearing, consciousness, and understanding has some scientific credence if even by a long shot.

My birth was a bit uncommon and I will post more on this tomorrow as I am needing to get some sleep
and too tired right now.
But, thanks to everyone on all the posts.
It has been quite interesting.

 

[SusanLR]

https://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20130102/babies-learn-womb#1

Here is the link to the study about hearing and learning starts in the womb.

Fetus' start hearing their mother's voice while still in the womb.
Surrounded with embryonic fluid the sounds would probably be very muffled.
Although the above link stated evidence they can hear better than we might think.
It also used to be thought consciousness to retain memory and learn didn't start until
a few months after birth.
This study shows differently.

What I meant in the above post about my birth being a bit different is the fact I was born a month
late, thus making my gestation actually 10 months.
Plus the fluid broke at 9 months, so for an extra month there would have been no thick fluid to muffle
sounds.
So I had an extra month for mental development plus a month where sounds could be heard more clearly
than the normal 9 month cycle.
Add this to the above research findings and the impossibility that you could be born "thinking" in words
isn't that far fetched.

Actually it is more a matter of the original question for this thread:
How far back can you remember?
If some can remember back to birth, and I was born a month old, then it might be that
in this case it is just a matter of remembering that far back. One month old in my case.

 

[Savageanna]

I remember way back then. I think my first memory was when I was one or two. It was my first real fantasy I guess lol. I had a dream where a weird cylindrical shaped monster made out of dark green pipe cleaners with eyes made out of hole punched circles and a red pipe cleaner mouth stared at me and then licked the carpet like it was a dog and then chased me into my room or something. It was a dream of sorts lol. I think I must’ve been two or so.

I also remember me crying in my crib in the middle of the night and my dad yelling at me to be quiet or something lol. That must’ve been when I was two and was growing out of my crib.

I also remember a lizard-like spoon and I tried to do something and my dad said “no”. That may have been two as well.

I also remember laying at home at the white-painted wooden changing station, and I remember just being fixated on a divit in the wood that wasn’t entirely painted. It looked like an animal face or something. I laughed at it eventually (lol idk why I found it funny). I might have been one then.

I also remember specific tastes from my younger years, like the taste of that cheese from the cheese and breadstick sort of snack packs. I have many many more, but I won’t keep talking about it lol.

But my answer: I remember back to when I was around one I think.

 

[Monachopia]

My partner is always in amazement that I remember so much from before the age of 4... I know these memories are true because they contain my mother (who passed away when I was 4) and at a flat that we no longer lived in after her passing. Weirdly, I remember emotions and instinctual reactions to things - there are no words, just impulse.

In fact, I remember also the first time I realised I was 'talking in my head' (i.e. thinking) and I was so confused and asked my dad if he could hear me "talking", he of course said no. This was also around the age of 4, but I could be a little wrong on that. I also remember lying in my crib, so I would have been between 1 and 2. I remember so much, but they're just small glimpses into what once was. Memories from 5 onwards are much more fluid and complete.

I don't know whether it is autism related or a product of environment - my sibling and I didn't have many distractions or toys, so we absorbed more of the happenings around us and retained them. Maybe the autism makes us more visually orientated and observant, so we concentrated on that more. Whatever the case, it seems quite a few here do remember many things from early childhood, so it appears not that uncommon.