"associative" memory

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Hey, I wonder if anyone else has this.

I've always had this weird thing with years and associating them with specific things, or my perception gives off that a certain year look liked this. For example, when I think of the years 2001-02, I think of darkness, and grainy-ness. Perhaps the fact that I used to play GTA III and watch Invader Zim (which were out during these years, and gave off a "dark" vibe) affects this.

But my brain goes even more detailed. For example, when I think of the year 1996, I think of cheeseburgers being made on a grill. When I think of 1995, I think of a Nascar at a pit stop. When I think of the year 1992 I think a lot of things, but I mainly think about sad somber music being played to a background of palm trees on an orange sunet. When I think of 1998, I think of a bag of baguette breads on a table. And so on, and so on.

Does anyone else experience this? I should also say that my memory is very strong. Not picture-perfect, but I can remember a lot of minor events without much effort. In fact, a specific item can trigger a memory without warning.

I'm like that with years and music.
tight as the night I had to wipe activator off the mic in 1985.

I've also read this before, and I think everyone has this ability (even NTs) but I've always had an ability to "create" memories as well. Like, full on memories with people, objects, and events that never even happened to me.

I have a very "associative" mind. At times, I think peripherally rather than "directly." This infuriates people who are close to me. When I put my mind to it, though, I am able to think "directly" very well. Frequently, though, motivation to do this is lacking--I might to be "put up on my bootstraps" in order to be motivated.

I tend to remember things visually. Intellectually, I tend to learn best when I read something, though--rather than visually. I also remember conversations--though usually only the essence of them, rather than verbatim. I tend to remember events in movies, rather than in still snapshots.

This is normal.
NTs do it too, this association between one thing and another, often permanent.

I also tend to remember pictures rather than words, no idea if that's normal or not. There are also some things I can only remember when my memory is jogged, noteably navigation. I cannot give other people directions because I forget large sections, but I can work out where to go when there as I recognise it.

A weird thing which might be derailing the topic is I have heard in several places than smell is supposed to bring back memories with particular strength and emotion. For me that's not true at all, smells tend to remind of stuff but I can't quite work out what and with little to no emotive association. However, sound very powerfully links to emotion in memories for me. Mainly music, but there are also things like sounds of machinery and phones which other people would find annoying but I associate them with happy memories and really like them. My smell and hearing seem to be wired in the wrong way round in that respect.

Smells do more or less for me bring back memories. Actually, specific smells remind me of a certain years.

That's really funny. It seems almost every object in my mind is connected to some form of memory or nostalgia. For example, seeing a specific bathroom tile will immediately emit memories of my childhood living in a certain house. Again, an entire picture of a memory is painted into my head when I listen to a certain song or so.

Oh yeah, on the original topic, I also remember some weirdly mundane things. One of my earliest memories is walking along the road by the house next door. That's it, and I must have walked along there thousands if not tens of thousands of times in my life. Why does that one time (when nothing unusual happened) stick out? Also the small snapshots I have of early birthdays are really mundane moments like I remember standing on the stairs when I was 4. That's it, it was my 4th birthday and I was on the stairs. I'm sure some sort of party and presents happened but they weren't as memorable for some reason!

Same here. For some reason this particular time I went to a mini supermarket with my parents sticks out (this was in 2003; hell, I even remember it being at night time and some of the items we bought - Fruit Loops and milk!). Really, there are a lot of experiences that didn't play a huge role in my life that just stick out in my mind.

Other events I remember:
-Going to a Carl's Jr in some other area in California
-A drive down the Interstate 5 at night time to pick up a Red Camaro
-Going to a community center at age 5 on a cloudy day

Just thinking about this brings a strong flurry of memories of my childhood in my early 2000s...

I have a vivid olfactory memory from when I was six.

I was in Montreal attending Expo 67. I remember, quite well, the smell from the hotel; in retrospect, there was a strong indication that it was being renovated. I didn't realize that when I was six, though. I just thought it was a weird smell.

I remember concrete things in pictures, slideshows or short videos, and the abstract concepts, in specific shapes.

Most people remember eggsperiences like described in this thread in visuals like images and movies and other aspects like smells, touch, sounds, like reliving of the eggsperience. Eberrything described in this thread is normal.