First memories and the concept of self

 Do you recall your first memory? It was most likely from around the age of 2 and it is just a single episode – usually drifting in a mist, out of context. The context is given only later when your parents tell you what happened at that time.

Over time more and more of these episodic memories are added until your actual life story begins as a continuous flow.

Now – did you know that that is provably false? It was shown time and time again that people actually remember even things that happen pre-birth. You might have heard that mothers should play their babies soothing or classical music, to keep them calm and even help in their development.

Ok, so how is it possible that you remember your first memory at two and at the same time you can even remember prenatal events? Well – the reason is “you”. The concept of self develops around the age of 2, interesting, huh?

Before that, there was no “you” to remember it, and that’s why “you” can’t remember it.

It is an indexing problem.

An index is a list of words or phrases and associated pointers to where useful material relating to that heading can be found in a document or collection of documents. Examples are an index in the back matter of a book and an index that serves as a library catalogue.

Before you have your “self” all the associated pointers pointed to a completely different heading. Once the self develops, all your memories are related to your concept of self. And since you mostly perceive, experience and recall your world through your “self”, the memories not related to it are not available to you.

Strangely it means that your "body" may remember things that are not available to you. And at the same time, all that you remember is curated by your concept of self.