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Personal Science

I forget… I forget…

We seem to remember very little. Are we thus forced to always live in the present?

I have loads of memories (about 44 years’ worth), and if you ask me supervisually, I remember my whole past life. But I often wondered, how much can I really recall?

If I ask myself the question: Do I remember what I had for lunch in 2004 on the 3rd of September?

I don’t!

Do I remember the events of that day? Hardly… do I remember the next day in detail then? Nope.

It seems to have completely vanished from memory too.

I might remember some highlights of 2004, I might remember my birthday of that year. (or do I???)

I do have pictures of that time. Looking at those brings back some memories. Looking at a film of the time brings back some memories too.

Unaided though, how much of the year 2004 could I ‘replay’ like a film, in detail, from just memory? How much could you? Would that be 90% of the time? 50%, 10%, 1%… even less???

If I had to guestimate, I could (with difficulty) probably recall a total of about an hours’ worth of memories from that time. That would be less than 0.02%

Hardly anything at all then. Seems my live is playing out in the present, mainly.

As I said, I can’t forget, the things yet to be.

But looking at the past, how’s your memory?

(PICTURE IS FOR SALE ON CANVAS!)

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