How far back someones remember their life

[Jtalia]

Im wondering about some memory functions and whether it is all black and white.  I was told in College Psychology that children usually do not remember anything until they are 4.5 years old.  But I remember some things from being 2 and 3 years old, like going to this amusement park with my babysitter, visiting my aunt out of town, my sister being born, and my Grandparents babysitting me at night, and sleeping on the couch.  Well, the memories are a bit vague.  I even remember visiting relatives in Arizona when I was 1, but my parents taped it, and I saw it a couple times. 

How about Age regression Hypnosis.  I have never experienced that, but Im open minded to the possibility.  Some people say its real, and others say its false.  Any official scientific information?

[businmotion]

I remember my brother being born and I was 2. I can see the hospital, who was there and remember my thoughts...

Hypnosis is a tricky subject i havent done enough research to nake an educated opinon, but I have seen some honestly weird things of people that were under.

[Nicki]

The problem with memory is that memories can be made in instances when someone tells us a story or shows us some evidence of something that's happened to us in our lives. I feel that it's almost a type of "daydream turned 'reality'." Our brain starts to "remember" what the car looked like, how we acted and such and even though they might not be correct, we store them as memories and recall them when needed.

Not trying to say that your memories are false or altered but just trying to shed some light on the subject.

[S. Earl Martin]

You are correct. Memory can be influnced by a number of factors. The older the memory is the greater the possibility is that it has been altered. I am not saying that your memories are altered, but once an event passes we have only so much information to deal with. Any event is very complex. A lot of things are going on moment by moment. We only perceive the ones that are important to us. Then trying to remember them in an unbiased manner is even more complex.

I have memories of when I was a baby. I was talking to my mom and told her I remembered being in a crib and cats coming in and laying down beside me. She didn't think that was possible. I decribed the cats and she remembered I was right. She remembered the name of the cats. Of course I wasn't old enough to talk so I didn't remember that. I also have other memories of when I was very young. So I have no doubt that it is possible you remember yours.

As far as hypnosis goes? I have done my own investigation of that. Many times it is staged or it is the power of suggestion, but sometimes it can work. So do what you think is right, but be careful. Peace.