Poll of the Day > Do you remember the moment you gained consciousness?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Most people who remember the experience report it happening around the age of 3.

It is my first distinct memory. I was walking in to daycare with my mom, and it was like it came over me in a wave, and I was suddenly in possession of my body and mind. I looked up and said "Mom, I just woke up"

It seems to me like this is a moment in childhood development that needs a much closer look.
How about you potd? Do you remember the moment?

My first memory was when I was around 3 walking in the snow to cross the street holding my dad's hand while he took me to the doctor. I was all puffed up in my snowsuit and toddling.

But sadly due to abuse I don't have a lot of childhood memories.

https://i.imgur.com/jMu5czM.gif

I think my first memory was of me lying on the couch watching cartoons and asking my grandma for chocolate mimi

First memory was having Sunday breakfast with my parents, and accidentally spilling the syrup on my dad's lap.

Probably part of the reason I always associate breakfast foods (pancakes, bacon, french toast, etc.) with my mom because I remember her laughing historically at it.

I remember having chicken pox really young. My parents say that was on my 1st birthday but I feel like I was a bit older than that

I hardly remember what I did yesterday and you're asking this? Sure I have bits of memories from my childhood but nothing that I'd consider as "gaining consciousness".

I'm not entirely certain I've ever gained counciousness/self-awareness

My 1st memory is when I was 2 and my brother was born though I don't remember much else from before 3-4

My first memory used to be trying to escape a playpen and crawling around on the floor of my original house, which I moved out of when I was 2. So my first memory was somewhere around 1-2 years old.

But as you get older, older memories start to fade, and all that you're really left with are memories of your memories. In other words, I can still remember that I used to remember that, but I can't actually remember it itself now. I mostly just remember me telling the story (like I am now).

This is one of the ways that liars come to believe their own lies - if you tell the lie often enough, you remember the lie but can forget the original truth. So stories and memories can slowly change over time as we accidentally edit our memories in our own brain. This is also how some people will "remember" things that they've been repeatedly told happened - they don't actually remember it, they remember other people telling them the story, and their brain sort of fills in the gaps (ie, if enough people tell you that you smashed your face into your birthday cake on your 2nd birthday, you might start "remembering" that you did it, even if you don't actually remember that you did it).

At this point in my life I'm not actually sure what my oldest real memory is. A lot of my childhood memories just feel like echoes and summaries of what happened rather than actual vivid memories of the moments themselves. But most of the little stories and anecdotes I tend to tell come from around 4-5 at the earliest because that's around the time most of my stories became coherent enough to repeat and reinforce over time.

I know I've definitely forgotten tons of things over time, because I can remember where the holes are. Like how when I was younger I used to be able to name every single kid in my class pictures, or name every teacher I ever had in school, but now I can't. Generally, if you don't reinforce memories over time through use, they fade.

Vaguely have memories of trying to sleep in a crib of some sort

The earliest memories I remember having happened when I was 4, i think.

I remember I was in our back playroom and my neaighbor handed me an ice cream bar and said "hold this, I am going to the bathroom. DO NOT EAT IT"

Well, I ate it. I think it was just a matter of her getting a new one from the freezer, but I still do not know what compelled me to eat it.

my earliest memories were going to the health center for dr. appts. I remember the WIC signs there

argonautweakend posted...

The earliest memories I remember having happened when I was 4, i think.

I remember I was in our back playroom and my neaighbor handed me an ice cream bar and said "hold this, I am going to the bathroom. DO NOT EAT IT"

Well, I ate it. I think it was just a matter of her getting a new one from the freezer, but I still do not know what compelled me to eat it.

Well it was ice cream. At 4 years old that's the only excuse you need

Shit now I want ice cream

The moment God breathed His Life into me.

Booooring schtick still homie

Even though Im 41, I dont think its happened yet. My earliest memory is standing in my crib which was located where my dresser is now.

Yeah, it was the first day of school, I remember waking up in my bunk bed(that I shared with nobody) and went out into the hall where my parents were waiting for me, I started crying because I didn't want to go to school and that's all I remember of that day.

I have vague memories of before that though, like my mother bathing me in the large kitchen sink, and right before the day I sort of gained consciousness I saw what was like a reel oF memories, like how people say thier life flashed before thier eyes when they have a near death experience.

Yes, it was just now. I'm certain all memories of being concious before now are false and only backstory to explain what I'm doing.

I have vague memories of when I was 1 or 2 years old, when I lived on the north side of Chicago, and then in Garden Grove, California. But the time I definitely remember - I was about 3, living in San Pedro, California. I remember gopher holes and a swing set in the backyard, and snails a-plenty.

I have vivid memories of crawling and rolling around on the floor, not sure if this counts as consciousness

Nowadays, I feel like I don't even have a consciousness. On some days, it returns to me; but most of the time, I just feel blank. I'm usually in a state of dissociation and apathy.

No.

Earliest memory for me was eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes in Orange Juice, and thinking it was disgusting.

At age 2 or 3

Not really.

But every so often I have a memory of a smellsometimes I swear it actually manifests as a smell, that seems very familiar yet very old that Ive never been able to place. I wonder if it is something from my infancy.

I remember being in a crib and a playpen but I don't know how old I was. Of course these are how far back I can remember, not when I gained consciousness.

myghostisdead posted...

I remember being in a crib and a playpen but I don't know how old I was. Of course these are how far back I can remember, not when I gained consciousness.

I appreciate you pointing out the fact that most responses missed the question.

I think my earliest memory is carefully climbing down a short carpeted staircase.

I don't know. Maybe stepping on glass.

Hmm... my memory is not the best, but... I don't remember my age, but my oldest memory is holding my mom's hand at a bus stop. The buses were late or we had missed the hour-long route or something and had to wait a long time to go home, and home had a rather bad reputation to us... and I paraphrased Tolkien's The Two Towers at her.
What a fix! Thats the one place we dont want to see any closer and thats the one place were trying to get to!
Made her laugh. Mom and my grandfather were big Tolkien fans, so we grew up on the books, the Bakshi film, and the BBC audio drama.