<p>Although we usually refer to <em>memory</em> to describe our ability to consciously remember past experiences, in neuroscience this term is also used to incorporate unconscious influences of our past on our <em>current perceptions and actions</em>.
In other words, sometimes/in some instances, we are not aware of the influences of our past on our way to remember things.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>These unconscious influences on our current behaviour depend on what
  has been called <strong>implicit memory</strong> or <strong>nondeclarative memory</strong> that
  can exist in individuals with damage to the <em>hippocampal memory
  system</em> (centre of declarative or explicit / conscious memory).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This example is often made: if you try to describe how you learned to drive a stick-shift car,it is likely that you wouldn't do a good job of consciously reconstructing the chain of sequences that allowed you to learn how to drive a stick-shift car... Nevertheless, your behaviour would be a clear indication of you training.</p>

<p><em>Memory is not a single entity but consists of multiple processes or systems</em></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/DcvGc.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/DcvGc.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>References:
<a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1841694835" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Emotional memory across the lifespan Elizabeth A. Kensinger</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-09T11:03:35.337Z
2018-01-09T11:03:35.337Z
Fil
<p>Is there a single notion in the cognitive sciences for "unconscious memory"? For example a in a <a href="https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2015/08/traumatic-memories-hide-retrieve-them" rel="noreferrer">2015 Northwestern University press release</a>, we find that </p>

<blockquote>
  <ul>
  <li>Scientists retrieve unconscious memories</li>
  <li>Could lead to new treatment for patients with repressed traumatic memories </li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>So this is basically talking about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repressed_memory" rel="noreferrer">repressed memories</a> (in humans, as the motivation) and also <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/state-dependent_memory" rel="noreferrer">state-dependent memory</a>, as what they <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.4084" rel="noreferrer">actually studied</a> in mice.</p>

<p>On the other hand, in a different area of research <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/cortex/featured-articles/unconscious-memories-affect-language-learning" rel="noreferrer">we hear that</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The brain’s unconscious memories of patterns are likely to be partly responsible for some children struggling to learn to talk. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>Is this the same notion as any of the previous two? Looking briefly at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2013.10.011" rel="noreferrer">the paper</a> it seems like it's talking about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_memory" rel="noreferrer">procedural memory</a> instead (correct me if I'm wrong).</p>

<p>So how many (sufficiently) different notions of "unconscious memory" are there in the (contemporary) science literature? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-08T16:56:58.117Z
After watching the first 5 minutes of https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/unconscious-concept-or-metaphor, there are many mechanisms which would qualify. I'll try to summarize something after I (have time to) watch the whole talk... if someone else doesn't post an answer by then, of course.
got trolled too much this week
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-09T06:34:57.533Z
There are many mechanisms that operate in the unconsious brain, just to name a few : emotions most part is unconsious, procedural memory like riding a bike, most part of language etc
DesignerAnalyst
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-14T07:55:57.593Z
There are two traditions at work here. Unconscious is a concept central to Freud's work and is sometimes conflated with "subconscious". However, a more modern concept that describes those cognitive processes that are subject to lower degrees of awareness, wakefulness, or reportability, is "non-conscious" (a distinction suggested by William G. Farthing). While the Freudian concept implies suppression of thoughts, or relegation to dream access only, the contemporary concept refers simply to subtreshold processes, which are below the limit for conscious access.
noumenal
<memory><terminology><unconscious>
What does "unconscious memory" mean?
got trolled too much this week
# What does "unconscious memory" mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-01-08)

Is there a single notion in the cognitive sciences for "unconscious memory"? For example a in a [2015 Northwestern University press release](https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2015/08/traumatic-memories-hide-retrieve-them), we find that

> * Scientists retrieve unconscious memories
> * Could lead to new treatment for patients with repressed traumatic memories

So this is basically talking about [repressed memories](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repressed_memory) (in humans, as the motivation) and also [state-dependent memory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/state-dependent_memory), as what they [actually studied](https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.4084) in mice.

On the other hand, in a different area of research [we hear that](https://www.journals.elsevier.com/cortex/featured-articles/unconscious-memories-affect-language-learning)

> The brain’s unconscious memories of patterns are likely to be partly responsible for some children struggling to learn to talk.

Is this the same notion as any of the previous two? Looking briefly at [the paper](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2013.10.011) it seems like it's talking about [procedural memory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_memory) instead (correct me if I'm wrong).

So how many (sufficiently) different notions of "unconscious memory" are there in the (contemporary) science literature?

**Tags:** memory, terminology, unconscious

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: After watching the first 5 minutes of https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/unconscious-concept-or-metaphor, there are many mechanisms which would qualify. I'll try to summarize something after I (have time to) watch the whole talk... if someone else doesn't post an answer by then, of course.  
> **username_1**: There are many mechanisms that operate in the unconsious brain, just to name a few : emotions most part is unconsious, procedural memory like riding a bike, most part of language etc  
> **username_2**: There are two traditions at work here. Unconscious is a concept central to Freud's work and is sometimes conflated with "subconscious". However, a more modern concept that describes those cognitive processes that are subject to lower degrees of awareness, wakefulness, or reportability, is "non-conscious" (a distinction suggested by William G. Farthing). While the Freudian concept implies suppression of thoughts, or relegation to dream access only, the contemporary concept refers simply to subtreshold processes, which are below the limit for conscious access.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-01-09. Score: 2

Although we usually refer to *memory* to describe our ability to consciously remember past experiences, in neuroscience this term is also used to incorporate unconscious influences of our past on our *current perceptions and actions*.
In other words, sometimes/in some instances, we are not aware of the influences of our past on our way to remember things.

> These unconscious influences on our current behaviour depend on what
> has been called **implicit memory** or **nondeclarative memory** that
> can exist in individuals with damage to the *hippocampal memory
> system* (centre of declarative or explicit / conscious memory).

This example is often made: if you try to describe how you learned to drive a stick-shift car,it is likely that you wouldn't do a good job of consciously reconstructing the chain of sequences that allowed you to learn how to drive a stick-shift car... Nevertheless, your behaviour would be a clear indication of you training.

*Memory is not a single entity but consists of multiple processes or systems*

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/DcvGc.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/DcvGc.jpg)

References:
[Emotional memory across the lifespan Elizabeth A. Kensinger](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1841694835)


---

