It’s a logical question to ask. How can anyone believe that they can recall events and experiences that happened during their infancy and early childhood days? Most people can recall a handful of memories that predate their classroom experiences, if any at all; so the idea that someone can remember accurate details from their infancy seems bizarre. In my case, however, I have very distinct memories of trauma that my father has confirmed through his own memories and also through a prayer diary he has kept his whole adult life. He tells me that when I talk about those memories I am describing the people involved and the places where the traumas took place exactly. There are some memories from early infancy that my father can’t confirm; but based on the accuracy of the ones he can confirm, I believe those memories to be accurate also.

The theory of the psychiatrist who first diagnosed my DID (which I also adhere to) is that I dissociated those experiences and a separate personality who is the same chronological age as I was at the time of the trauma holds the memories. Since those personalities have not stayed close to consciousness for much of my growing years and adult life, they haven’t had the opportunity to experience other memories that would dominate conscious awareness, moving the traumas from early life farther and farther from conscious recall. It’s only a theory, but it seems quite logical to us and we have embraced this concept as a valid understanding of how & why we have some extremely vivid memories from our infancy and early childhood.