Sensory–perceptual episodic memory and its context: autobiographical memory

Abstract

Episodic memory is reconceived as a memory system that retains highly detailed sensory perceptual knowledge of recent experience over retention intervals measured in minutes and hours. Episodic knowledge has yet to be integrated with the autobiographical memory knowledge base and so takes as its context or referent the immediate past of the experiencing self (or thèI'). When recalled it can be accessed independently of content and is recollectively experienced. Autobiographical memory, in contrast, retains knowledge over retention intervals measured in weeks, months, years, decades and across the life span. Autobiographical knowledge represents the experienced self (or thème'), is always accessed by its content and, when accessed, does not necessarily give rise to recollective experience. Instead, recollective experience occurs when autobiographical knowledge retains access to associated episodic memories. In this reworking of thèepisodic memory' concept autobiographical memory provides the instantiating context for sensory-perceptual episodic memory.

How conscious experience and working memory interact

“…The current contents of consciousness are also stored in transient episodic memory. At recurring times not part of a cognitive cycle, the contents of transient episodic memory are consolidated into long-term associative memory [33] Transient episodic memory is an associative memory with a moderately fast decay rate, on the order of hours [20]. It is to be distinguished from autobiographical memory, a part of long-term associative memory.…”

“…IDA's long-term associative memory includes semantic memory and long-term episodic memory. In addition, she has a transient episodic memory [20].…”

The role of personal goals in autonoetic experience when imagining future events

“…In his conceptualization of autobiographical memory, Conway (2001Conway ( , 2005 proposed a similar distinction between specific event memories and conceptual autobiographical knowledge, which provides an organizing context for remembered events. By extending the scope of the autobiographical knowledge base to conceptual representations of one's personal future, this framework may prove useful to account for accumulating evidence showing that episodic future thinking involves more than scene construction.…”

More than skin deep: Body representation beyond primary somatosensory cortex

“…Interestingly, this form of bodily awareness is related to specific sensorimotor events, such as the correlated visual-tactile inputs that induce the RHI, rather than having continuity through time. The insula may house the bodily awareness required to pass a rouge test (Gallup, 1970), rather than the continuous bodily self of autobiographical memory (Conway, 2001). …”