In a number of highly-charged child abuse cases, teachers and parents have been wrongfully arrested because of claims of 'recovered memory'. But brain science is now discovering how memories can alter, or even be planted by leading questions. Sabbagh explains the latest findings, and argues that courts must be guided by them.

Memories shared by Johnny Cash with his daughter Tara using a daily journal questions format

What are your earliest childhood memories? Were you afraid of the dark? Can you remember a particularly embarrassing moment? Those memories—along with the words and emotions you use to describe them—hold the key to understanding the person you are today! Drawing on examples from his own life, the lives of celebrities, as well as case studies from his private practice, renowned psychologist Dr. Kevin Leman helps you apply these same techniques to uncover why you are the way you are. Remember, “The little boy or girl you once were, you still are!” So unlock that memory bank—pick a memory, any memory—and discover what makes you tick!

Dawn of Memories is a journey into the realm of early recollections of childhood and a search for the meaning of the remembrances. Since 1894, first memories have been a subject of hundreds of investigations around the world. The age of a person’s initial recollections, the content of the memories and various other topics are of enduring interest to people of all ages. Early recollections yield deep insights into an individual’s personality and ways of perceiving life, and can help both individuals and clinicians to employ these first memories for personality appraisal and growth. Building on earlier studies, Dawn of Memories presents a clear and understandable framework for interpreting early recollections in order to enhance self-understanding and personal development. Numerous captivating and informative examples detail the meaning of first remembrances in historical figures and people from diverse backgrounds. Clarke also focuses on capitalizing on strengths and an awareness of potentialities that emerge from reflecting upon early recollections. Readers will come away from this enlightening work with a better understanding of their own memories, their lives as result of these memories, and how to use them to resolve current issues in their lives.

Readers once believed in Proust’s madeleine and in Wordsworth’s recollections of his boyhood—but that was before literary culture began to defer to Freud’s questioning of adult memories of childhood. In this first sustained look at childhood memories as depicted in literature, Lorna Martens reveals how much we may have lost by turning our attention the other way. Her work opens a new perspective on early recollection—how it works, why it is valuable, and how shifts in our understanding are reflected in both scientific and literary writings. Science plays an important role in The Promise of Memory, which is squarely situated at the intersection of literature and psychology. Psychologists have made important discoveries about when childhood memories most often form, and what form they most often take. These findings resonate throughout the literary works of the three writers who are the focus of Martens’ book. Proust and Rilke, writing in the modernist period before Freudian theory penetrated literary culture, offer original answers to questions such as “Why do writers consider it important to remember childhood? What kinds of things do they remember? What do their memories tell us?” In Walter Benjamin, Martens finds a writer willing to grapple with Freud, and one whose writings on childhood capture that struggle. For all three authors, places and things figure prominently in the workings of memory. Connections between memory and materiality suggest new ways of understanding not just childhood recollection but also the artistic inclination, which draws on a childlike way of seeing: object-focused, imaginative, and emotionally intense.