Thread: Recovery of Lost memories.

honest answer:

If its a 'lost memory'....then how would you know whether or not it actually occured?

You could ask a DC to show you some of your old memories....but how would you know if they were just a creation or a real memory?

Im sure its possible....but filtering the real from your mind's own creativity would be next to impossible

^^^Good point. Unless you could confirm it with someone else who might remember the same thing.

At James: True, but surely having a dream Journal should help you sift from real and imaginary.

If this counts as remembering and confirming, in high school I had a dream just before waking in which I was speaking fluent French, and when I woke up I remembered what I'd been saying and wrote it down, took it to my French teacher that day and found it was all correct, but way beyond what I'd studied so far... it inclined me to believe I'd spoken French in a past life, but that was just one interpretation. Hadn't yet been exposed at the time to the idea our dream bodies might have access to unlimited knowledge. So whether it was actually remembering (my assumption) remains up for debate, I guess.

Originally Posted by floating tao

If this counts as remembering and confirming, in high school I had a dream just before waking in which I was speaking fluent French, and when I woke up I remembered what I'd been saying and wrote it down, took it to my French teacher that day and found it was all correct, but way beyond what I'd studied so far... it inclined me to believe I'd spoken French in a past life, but that was just one interpretation. Hadn't yet been exposed at the time to the idea our dream bodies might have access to unlimited knowledge. So whether it was actually remembering (my assumption) remains up for debate, I guess.

I had a dream this morning where I spoke Spanish. Unsurprising, for how long I've studied, but everything I pointed to I named correctly. <3

Wouldn't it be cool if we all had the origin of language programmed into us? If the roots of certain words are genetically passed on? If some scientists believe complex animal behaviors are genetic, then it's not a stretch to include core elements of language in humans, as well. Of course, I don't really agree with half the claims of "genetically passed on behaviors," anyway.

Perhaps you got the phrase from a movie/clip you saw in class, but forgot? Dreams help consolidate memory, classifying what should be stored where (and how deeply). That's how one school of thought goes, and in some aspects I agree.


As for the original post, memories degrade over time. It's just that simple. Your mind will take the schemata of the scene that you are trying to replicate, and try to fill in the gaps as logically as possible, which can make it seem remarkably true. But the veracity of the recreated situation is always questionable.

Floating Tao: thats very interesting, to think that were born with built in knowledge such as language. Its also pretty intimidating, i think. I mean if you already know something (subconsiously) then is their any point in learning it? I know that sounds stupid but think about it. Schools would be better off teaching kids to LD so they can Unlock the language, rather than re-teaching it to them!

Originally Posted by Abra

....memories degrade over time...

After I read this I immediately remembered reading that somewhere else on this forum, so i suppose your right. Definately told me wrong.

thats really my question answered i think... unless anyone can elaborate. ?

I'm not a big believer that dreams can show you your past life but, after reading someone things a LD could maybe, but only a maybe. I think that if I could find my Dream Guide then could ask.

It is this dream, that is the thrust behind joining this group to add my experience to this [dead] thread. But judging by the content of this thread, I believe this is the best place to post my extraordinary experience.

A few nights ago, I was having I assume what would be considered a 'lucid dream'. During the dream, I was visiting the backyard pool of my childhood home (I'd hadn't been there in over 6 years). Walking around the pool, with a group of 'friends', none of whom I could remember, I recalled lost (actual) memories of past experiences playing in the pool - in other words, walking around this pool, brought back lost memories of specific play around the pool. Specifically, as I looked down at the 'cool decking' there was a plastic 'seam' - I remembered that as a kid we use to use that plastic seam as a 'take off point' when running from the house, as fast as we could, then measuring who jumped the farthest into the pool. Again, this real memory (that actually happened), was recalled within my dream...and I had forgotten that memory of my childhood, until it was brought back to me within the dream. Upon waking from this dream, and contemplating how extraordinary it was, I clearly remember the neighborhood kids and I playing this pool game of running from the patio of the house, as fast as we could, and 'taking off' from that plastic seam to jump into the pool, as a contest to see who could jump the furthest. There is absolutely no doubt that this is a real memory, and was verified by a childhood friend.

Is there a formal term for this experience? I realize that an involuntoary memory trigger is called a 'proustian moment', but having one within a dream...I found to be extraordinary.

If anyone has any insight, or similar experience, please share.

I can usually feel if I had remembered remembering something. Like you forget what the content is but you know you had it there before. Sometimes this feeling rekindles after I am reminded by the content. In this way I "feel" that it is a memory. I've had "flashbacks" in dreams before to fill plotholes, but these are like you see on TV.

For instance, I was braking hard irl because I almost missed a stop sign in the fog. As I felt the pressure of my foot on the brakes, I remembered my dream that morning where I was braking hard, but had little effect.