Why do people have no memory of their earliest childhood years? Is it related to brain development?

Answer 1

Sadly many psychologists and neurologists maintain that we are not even conscious until about 18-24 months old. One reason for this is that we have no language with which to store and recall memories until about that age. Animals, according to these experts, are not conscious either. We may be like an animal, conscious with images, smells and sounds but not languages because I do believe that animals are conscious and can reason.

I have memories back at least until age two and have raised 4 children from birth and I think they were conscious from birth. It probably does have something to do with brain development but as to the answerer who said, "we don't remember being taught to walk", I think we were not taught to walk but it is an inherited instinct like suckling and learning a language is.

Look up "child development" in Yahoo! we search for more info on infant development.

Good luck at recalling your infancy, good mental health, peace and love!

Answer 2

Yes . A mechanism must be there to allocate importance or significance to a memory , memory is not random meaning remembering naything , but rather we tend to remember RELEVANT things . When the psyche is still growing , only the most BASIC things are relevant hence we remember them (sound of parent , taste of a food etc)

Also there is the matter of TIME . When you were 1 you probably remember things until you were 3 , like you would recall something at 3 which you saw at 1 , but as an adult you lose all that .
Even memories in early adult life are gradually lost , hence the frequent saying "I dont remember it was such a long time ago"

Answer 3

I remember things from when I was two. Most people remember a little later. Nobody can say for sure why you remember one thing and not others. I personally think it is because our brains are growing and learning and at the small age we pick and choose what we think will be important. Because we obviously still remember how to walk, we just don't remember being taught.
Just my opinion.

Answer 4

I have memories of my earliest childhood years. But I am not a typical person mentally. Supposedly.

Answer 5

I have a memory of being in my baby bed...and of my mother rocking me in the rocking chair..and of seeing someone (who no one in my family seems to know) standing in front of the bedroom fireplace looking in the mirror fixing her long hair. I thought it was my mother. In later years I asked her about it,.but she said she never had long hair and looked shocked that I had seen somebody.

Answer 6

interesting question. i have wondered that, too. there is so much complexity with our brains, i dont think anyone really knows for sure, although i agree with you