One of the biggest questions we grapple with is whether there is genetic memory. Put in another way, do we pass memories down from one generation to the the next through our genes?
The evidence base for this is variable, and integrates theory and practice.
At one level, genetic memory is how we know things we never learned, such as a child prodigy’s mastery of music they hadn’t learned how to play. Or in other cases, when an accident to the brain reveals a new talent, such as art, the the person had not been taught previously.
At a deeper level, genetic memory refers to what the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (and 
founder of analytic psychology) termed the “collective unconscious,” which refers to shared traits, intuitions and collective archetypes we retain as a human species in our subconscious minds. These images and archetypes would emerge in our dreams. Salvador Dali, who we looked at a few days ago, focused his art on unearthing these images.
Finally, there is a growing body of research on animals suggesting that memory is passed through our genes and shows up as behavioral changes. Experiments indicate that when a mouse experiences a traumatic event, it shows up in the DNA passed on to its children. If the animal were trained to fear a specific smell, for example, that same anxiety appears in their offspring,and they actively avoided the scent. Through scientific scans, the scientists showed that the DNA responsible for sensitivity to the scent was active and that some changes to the brain structure was evident. They believe this may work similarly in humans.
Scary or hopeful? What do you think?
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Wow, very interesting discoveries. One would hope that kids won’t repeat our mistakes in that case?
https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch/2018/04/g-is-for-geneva.html
I suspect they will, but hopefully we can steer them beyond it faster and easier than we did.
It sounds like it’s connected to the nature versus nurture debate. I believe we all have the capacity to move beyond nature, or in this case genetic memories, if necessary.
So our mistakes can be and are inherited and passed on – explains why so many children have the same phobias and issues as their parents.
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Wow! The matter of the possibility to pass on memories is really fascinating. Though I wonder what kind of memories we may indeed be able to pass on.
The more I think about it, the more I think genetic memory is mis-termed. We are passing down learned behavior–changing our genetic coding because of what we learned. Its a fascinating concept, but it is it memory?
I think the idea of genetic memory is both fascinating and a little bit problematic. It’s awesome for survival, but if we come pre-programmed for things that are no longer relevant, that could become an issue. I suppose it all depends on how much it takes to de-program was is encoded in the DNA.
Tasha
https://tashasthinkings.blogspot.com/ – Movie Monsters
I agree completely, but it does throw a more complex light on the nature-nurture thing.