Markus Werkle-Bergner, developmental psychologist and senior research scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin: The answer to this question is more likely “no.” Although the memories are stored, we can hardly access them. So-called infantile Amnesia is a well-known phenomenon: We cannot recall events and things from the first one to three years of our lives when asked about them as adults. However, this does not mean that no memories are stored during infancy and early childhood. At this age, language, thinking, and orientation develop—these are profound changes that go hand in hand with memories. Otherwise, learning would not be possible. There is now also strong scientific evidence from animal studies that children can form Memory traces (so-called engrams).

So the most intriguing question is: Why can’t we recall these early memories? There are various explanations for this. One theory is that language development is crucial, because for most people, thinking takes place in linguistic form. It is assumed that we cannot remember early events in our lives because they occurred before we acquired language. However, this theory is challenged by the finding that infantile amnesia also occurs in various animals, such as mice and rats.

Another possible explanation is that we retrieve memories differently in adulthood because the brain changes significantly compared to early childhood. As a result, it may no longer be possible to retrieve memories in the same way as we did as young children. Researchers are also investigating the influence of spatial abilities acquired in early childhood. During this period, posture shifts from lying down to standing upright, and the mode of locomotion changes from crawling on all fours to crawling on hands and knees—opening up new ways to explore the world. As part of this process, the ability to navigate space develops. So-called Place cells in the brain develop a kind of neural navigation system. Studies involving humans suggest that these mental mapping systems are also used to store more abstract content—such as memories. Thus, as we grow up, a new way of organizing memories may emerge, which could result in our no longer being able to access memories stored outside this system.

Recalling the early years of infancy can also be complicated by the fact that newer memories compete with older ones. Memories are generally similar throughout life because we usually spend many years of our lives in the same environment. The environment itself, for example, is then no longer a trigger for recalling memories. For us to remember them well, events must be particularly important or unique to us. 

Events that stand out from the mass of memories are therefore easier to recall.

Photos and images from childhood are powerful cues and can often make it possible to retrieve memories that are otherwise difficult to access. On the other hand, repeatedly looking at images also links memories to new situations. The question is: To what extent is it the memory that one experienced oneself, and to what extent has it been altered by new memories? Every time we recall a memory, there is a possibility that we adapt and alter it.

In scientific surveys, due to the phenomena described above, it is very difficult to determine whether a memory is an autobiographical one—actually experienced from a first-person perspective—or a constructed memory. There is a lack of systematic research that generates memories of early childhood itself. Only in this way can researchers know exactly what actually happened and compare it with the respondents’ memories. However, this type of research is very expensive and labor-intensive. Nevertheless, it is the only way to truly unravel the mystery of early childhood memories.

Recorded by Natalie Steinmann

Question first published on March 19, 2017
Question reanswered on July 19, 2026