INFANTILE AMNESIA: COULD I POSSIBLY REMEMBER?

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According to an article by Cristina Alberini and Alessio Travaglia of The Journal of Neuroscience, Infantile Amnesia is:

...the inability of adults to recollect early episodic memories...associated with the rapid forgetting that occurs in childhood.

This means that most of your childhood memories are locked away. Although in the same article it was mentioned that traumatic experiences seem to stick. Well, the bad always sticks way harder than the good.

Infantile Amnesia is popular. You can't remember anything of when you were a baby. Infact, some people don't have memories of when they were 15 years old.

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As a baby, which is the critical period of learning and development, a lot plays in the development of personality and growth. From age 1 to 9, this is the programming stage. This is where your circumstances, lifestyle and education plays a huge role.

A child going through a bad home at age 7 would most likely lean to disturbing coping mechanisms such as power play(bullying or manipulation) or isolation (sociopathy). Worst case scenario, they develop a really unhealthy obsession.

Anyway, Infantile Amnesia is in a way more helpful than it is harmful. For one, unless a child has been abused in a way, they don't remember most hurtful experiences. Children can keep two kinds of memories securely. Joyful and Sad.

However, what if Infantile Amnesia had an opposite? What if there are people who remember every single moment of their childhood? From being a foetus to their present stage?

I have a testimony of that sort. I don't remember being a feotus but I have three disturbingly vivid images of my childhood.

Image one. I was in a cot with toys dangling over me. I remember my mother's face clearly. She was smiling with long black hair and shaking something over me. There was someone beside her but I don't remember the face. Sometimes I wish I could rewind time.

Second Image. In my cousin's house. Don't know how old. I was sitting and watching my cousins(twins) crawl. I was on a white singlet and pink socks. My mom came out of the kitchen with three bottles.

Third Image. At my grandparents house in the east. I was sitted on the stair case and saw my aunt go down with a child wrapped at her back. Never knew that was her kid then.

So yeah. I remember this parts of my childhood. Funny how they stuck more than others. When I tell some people (who doubting Thomas are better than) they give me bullshit like I made it up.

After going on to learn about Infantile Amnesia, I checked if it's possible to remember some pieces of childhood. It is possible!

You can get bits and pieces of memories that stuck with you as a child because you're at the programming stage.

This made me feel so much better about myself because it meant I didn't make it up. But also, I'll stop sharing that part of me with anyone because people can be really mean even when they don't mean to.

Anyway, I came up with a theory that may really be stupid. Reading about the Eidetic memory that is said to be a myth...is it really?

What if I have something like that but failed to groom it? Personally, I don't think the Eidetic memory is a gift or talent but rather a development. It's also a myth that people with high ranged IQ are the ones likely with an Eidetic memory. I beg to differ.

There are definitely lots of genius children but they wouldn't be genius without development. Anyhow, what isn't groomed would be lost.

I'd love your comments on this topic. Do you have any vivid memories from your childhood? Traumatic or Happy? Do you believe in the Eidetic memory? Do you think that someone might possibly not have Infantile Amnesia? I'd love to read your thoughts. Also you can tag someone who you think is knowledgeable on the subject. Knowledge is power!