How Ancient Memories Could Influence our Future.

The idea that humans could be storing long lost memories passed down by our ancestors is an intriguing concept.

Unlocking such secrets clearly wouldn’t be as straightforward as producing conscious memories of our ancestors’ experiences, but it certainly is a source of fascination, and as unlikely as it may sound, science is already on the case.

Some perspectives on the subject are:

1. Genetic Memory: AKA Ancestral Memory. This is the idea that certain experiences can be passed down through generations at a genetic level. Some research suggests that traumatic experiences might affect DNA in ways that could be inherited. This is still a developing field of study and more research is needed. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25156510 
2. Collective Unconscious: Proposed by psychologist Carl Jung, this theory suggests that there’s a part of the unconscious mind shared among all humans, containing archetypes and universal symbols. It’s more about shared human experiences and symbols rather than specific memories.
3. Epigenetics: This is the study of how behaviours and environment can cause changes that affect the way genes work. Epigenetic changes can be passed down through generations, potentially influencing the behaviour and health of descendants.
4. Cultural Transmission: Memories and knowledge from ancestors can also be passed down through stories, traditions, and teachings, which shape our unconscious mind and behaviours even though they are not direct, personal memories.

Memories of a past life / Reincarnation

When my daughter was 3 or 4 years old, she would talk about her “other mummy” the one she had before me. She told me stories about her little brother Michael, how she wore beautiful dresses that would fan out whenever she spun around. How her parents passed away and she and Michael had to go and live with their grandparents. A few years later when my son was born, he would go on to name all his pets Michael.

Eventually my daughter forgot about her “other family” and has no recollection of those memories today.

A simple google search will take you to a flurry of documented cases of children recalling past lives. Describing places they’ve never been to in great detail, people they’ve never met, often using words and phrases that go way beyond their comprehension.

Past Life Regression Therapy

Past life regression therapy is a technique using hypnosis to recover what some practitioners believe are memories of past lives or incarnations. It’s a controversial and hotly debated topic.

We inherit plenty of physical attributes from our family and therefore our ancestors, all of which are out of our control (cosmetic surgery aside) Our DNA contains multiple markers for skin and eye colour, height, and other physical traits. So why not memories?

The Pros

1. Personal Experiences: Many individuals report vivid and detailed experiences of past lives during hypnosis sessions, which they find personally meaningful.
2. Therapeutic Benefits: Some people claim to have experienced emotional and psychological healing from exploring supposed past lives, resolving issues that traditional therapy couldn’t address.

The Cons

1. Lack of Scientific Evidence: There is no scientific proof that past life memories are real. Critics argue that these experiences can be explained by the power of suggestion, imagination, and the subconscious mind.
2. False Memories: Some people are highly suggestible especially under hypnosis. These “memories” might be constructed from books, movies, or even stories heard in childhood.
3. Psychological Explanations: Psychologists suggest that past life regression experiences could be a way of the mind dealing with current life issues, using the narrative of past lives as a metaphorical framework.

The mainstream scientific community are currently on the fence regarding the likelihood of humans being able to store or indeed access ancestral memories, and are highly sceptical about past life regression therapy. Mind you, science by its very nature is sceptical until “proof” is discovered.

A lot of things that are commonplace today would have been seen as impossible or fantastical 100 years ago. Such things as smartphones, the internet, AI or space travel to name a few. Yet here we are, it’s the norm.

So, there’s hope yet. Perhaps in our lifetime science will discover a way in which we can remember all that there is to remember. Let’s hope we can handle it.