Do We Inherit Memories from our Ancestors?

We talk about inheriting certain traits from our ancestors, like hair colour, height, even some medical conditions.

But what if we inherit more than physical characteristics, what if we inherit actual memories?

Many people believe in past lives and many have experienced Déjà vu, the feeling that you have met someone or been to a place before.

Perhaps you have met that person or been to that place in another time, another body.. but what if you are simply remembering something that happened before your lifetime, something that your ancestors experienced? Can that somehow be carried down through your DNA like hair colour and a preference for spicy food?

This always something I’ve thought about but was inspired to write this blog after chatting with a friend online who revealed that when visiting his grandparents and entering his father’s old bedroom (where a lot of his father’s old belongings were still kept) he was hit with memories that were not his own. Certainly I can relate that to some experiences of my own and it made me wonder if such a thing was possible.

The concept of inheriting memories is not scientifically supported in the traditional sense; however, some studies, particularly in epigenetics, suggest that certain experiences and adaptations can influence gene expression, potentially affecting behaviour and stress responses in future generations.

One such study was carried out on mice in 2013, when laboratory mice were trained to fear a certain smell. This fear was transferred down to their offspring, even though the offspring had not been ‘conditioned’ to fear the smell.

A study carried out in 2017 on worms found correlations between food availability for one generation and the mortality rate for that generation’s grandchildren, indicating that health and longevity can be affected by the diet and experiences of our grandparents.

This means that while we may not inherit specific memories, the effects of our ancestors' experiences might be reflected in our biological or psychological responses.

So, could this meant that what we do now may impact on future generations and their memories? The truth is, we simply don’t know, but perhaps we should consider that our actions, thoughts and feelings today could have far reaching consequences, beyond our lifetime? Something to consider!

by Sarah Smith