A great tool for getting to know yourself in a deeper way is the use of early memories
developed by Dr. Alfred Adler, a primary student of Freud. Early memories from
childhood can be used to identify fundamental themes of a person’s life, either positive or
negative. Here are suggestions how to access and gain deeper self-understanding.
- Describe an early memory that you remember from your childhood, preferably before
the age of 10. Try not to work to hard at remembering. Just let a memory rise up, so to
speak from your unconscious. Describe the memory as if it were being projected on a
movie screen. - Identify the most vivid moment of the memory. Describe what is happening and
especially identify what you were feeling and thinking. - Explore the meaning of your feelings and thoughts in this context. Why were you
feeling this way? - Write a title for this memory to capture the main idea, such as, “Little girl feels
abandoned during recess.” - See how this has become a theme in your life and impacted your adult life.
- If the theme is troubling, do you see this same struggle in your life now as an adult?
- For troubling memories, imagine how you could rewrite this memory to bring about a
more positive outcome. For example, the little girl might decide she will ask one of the
girls to play jacks with her even though it is hard for her. - Apply this solution to current struggles that manifest themselves now in your life.
- Positive and happy memories, give us important information about what makes us
happy and what our strengths are. How can you use this information to empower yourself
and enjoy life more?