According to science, core memories are made up of human emotions that are brought back into consciousness when the emotion is the primary focus. “Core memories” do not exist in neuroscience or the field of mental health. The concept gained popularity with the Pixar film “Inside Out,” which described core memories as “a crucial time in a person’s life” and an experience that “powers an entirely different aspect of a person’s personality.”
What Is a Core Memory?
What Is a Core Memory – remembering the most memorable occurrences of your day. In psychology, this is referred to as core memory. Core Memory also assists you in recalling the most memorable moments you shared with family and friends during your happy days. It’s known as the core memory in psychology.
Example of Core Memory
You’ve been on numerous adventures with family and friends. Consider the day every time you travel with friends or family members in the days that follow. That is the predominant memory of that time. I can recall those times, regardless of whether they were pleasant or bad. It is the psychological basis of remembering.
What do your Deepest Memories Reveal about You?
What are your most cherished childhood memories? Are you able to recall a certain memory by making a conscious decision? What do your fundamental memories indicate about you?
The idea that there are “core memories” is now widely accepted in popular culture. Core memories, initially depicted in the 2015 film Inside Out, are thought to be your five or most crucial recollections. The idea is that certain experiences are so momentous that experiencing them instantly changes your character, actions, and self-image.
Thousands of TikTok users have produced “core memories” posts focusing on the most memorable experiences (typically from childhood) and receiving over 880 million views worldwide. Most of these pieces are nostalgic in nature and focus on the smallest details, such as watching cartoons on Saturday mornings, being hands-on with a classmate, or playing in the rain.
So, is there a core memory? Although memories help us form our self-image and improve our psychological well-being, research reveals that “core memories” are false in five fundamental ways.
More than Five Recollections
Memories of autobiographical origin (memories about ourselves or our lives) are long-term memories. This is a massive memory storage with no size or capacity constraints.
This is why we are not limited to simply five (or fifty) meaningful life experiences. Different memories may be important to us in different settings, and as a result, we may recall distinct self-defining experiences at different times.
Core Memories do not Drive Personality
While our memories are extremely significant, they do not determine our personalities. Cognitive scientists and psychologists frequently refer to autobiographical memory as serving (at least) three objectives. According to self-function, we are conscious of who we are based on our previous experiences. Sharing memories at social occasions allows us to connect with others and socialize. Furthermore, in keeping with the directive’s intent, our memories can help us learn from the past and address problems in the future.
Certain unforgettable memories may be important for our sense of identity. For example, winning the State Volleyball Championship may influence how we regard ourselves as athletes. Personality characteristics, on the other hand, are largely stable.
Childhood memories aren’t always the best
Contrary to popular belief, our most remembered autobiographical experiences may not always come from childhood. In truth, we generally have few memories of our childhood. Though our first memories normally begin around the age of three or four, the number of things we can recall is limited during the first few years of school.
However, most of our crucial and noteworthy memories occur during adolescence. The term “reminiscence bump” refers to this phenomenon.
One probable explanation is that our early childhood memories are often bland. What was exciting to us as children may no longer be so as we get older, and vice versa. Our most defining experiences occur in late adolescence and early adulthood when our self-esteem has stabilized.
People frequently experience a sense of nostalgia for their prior lives, a bittersweet longing for the good old days. This nostalgia is taken into account by the major memory tendency.
Determining The Future Core Memory
“New core memory” is a word used on social media to describe an amazing occurrence right after it occurs. This includes snow battles, holiday embraces, and a variety of other activities.
Even though we recall emotional events more than neutral events, we don’t have control over which memories we remember. It’s hard to foresee what we’ll remember and forget in the future. Our recollections can take us by surprise!
Things that become important to us over time may appear entirely ordinary at the moment, and various memories may take on different meanings at different stages of our lives.
Even for major events, we are more prone to forget some of the details we thought were critical at the time. Core memories are no more trustworthy than other forms of memories.
Memories of key events are sometimes presented as actual images of the past. Playing the camcorder and watching the action unfold, for example. Similar claims have been made about the so-called “flashbulb memory.” They are the vivid recollections formed when a person is exposed to momentous events for the first time (for example, the September 11 attacks or the murder of Princess Diana).
In reality, every memory we have is subject to change in the future, forgetting or making mistakes in the slightest details, even when they pertain to a crucial event. The way memory works creates the risk of error. When we store memories, we typically retain a general overview of the event and specific specifics.
We can recreate the situation if we find it and rebuild it. This entails elevating the core idea and information fragments to the highest level possible and filling in any gaps caused by missing information.
We can change the facts, create new feelings, and interpret the meaning of an event every time we think about it. Consider the joyful recollections one can have after becoming engaged to a beloved companion. If the relationship is terminated, the process of re-remembering allows for the incorporation of new negative sensations into the recollection.
Do our Fundamental Memories have an Impact on Us?
While many assume that our personality traits are created from “core memories,” Science Alert demonstrates that they have little to do with who we become. Our memories serve three separate purposes: self, social, and directive, all of which contribute to the definition of who we are or the beliefs we hold. Furthermore, because our brains can store an infinite amount of information, memories may affect us in various scenarios. For example, you may recall an event that is relevant in your work life, but does it have the same significance in your personal life?
It might be difficult to determine which memories are relevant to our self-image. According to Communicating Psychological Science, our brains cannot recall events from childhood with 100% correctness. The bulk of the time, we create our recall of an event by hearing stories related to others. We frequently misinterpret this as recalling the experience firsthand.
Closing
The truth is that your persona is formed by more than just unique core memories representing numerous situations throughout your life. These memories are not the only components that make up our personality. For example, just because someone has amnesia doesn’t mean they lose their identity, which could happen if their personality was only affected by key memories. A person suffering from amnesia can admire the same things as them and make comparable jokes. Not our memories but our genes are the primary factors that shape our personalities.
