Genetic Memory

I do not believe in reincarnation, though I have had personal experiences that made me understand why people do believe in it.  Now, I read about studies conducted at Emory University indicating that we inherit memories through our DNA, that we share in the experiences of our ancestors. This would explain a lot!  Chemical changes to our DNA occur when we experience a stressful or traumatic event, and experiments with mice show that these memories are passed down to subsequent generations. Experiences can alter our brains and our behavior, and these traits can be inherited.  Our DNA holds the recorded history of our family!  Natural aversions and instincts, and even phobias can be explained by this biological mechanism. I'm thinking that those mysterious deja vu moments can be explained by this as well.

Deja Vu

deja vu 

When I was about seven years old, my parents and a neighbor took me with them to Colonial Williamsburg. I remember very little about the visit, but one moment struck me so dramatically, I still get goosebumps thinking about it. The grownups were at Raleigh Tavern purchasing ginger cakes from the bakery there. (The smell still has very strong memory associations for me, which may explain why I must bake Raleigh Tavern ginger cakes every Christmas).  Anyway, I walked ahead of them and opened a little white gate leading out to Duke of Gloucester Street.  As I stood in the gateway looking toward the capitol building, an powerful sensation of deja vu came over me, and I have never forgotten it.  At that age, I could not even have known that deja vu was a thing.

Remembering Places I've Never Been
There are certain places that have always greatly interested me for no reason that I could figure - I have never set foot in any of them, but they are on my bucket list for sure:  Long Island and Cape Cod, The Alamo in Texas, and the particular areas of England associated with the legend of King Arthur.  Also, a story that greatly intrigued me as a child was The Boy at the Dike, set in the Netherlands.

Through my genealogy research in the past two years, I have discovered that my ancestors have solid connections with these very places.  It is truly an exciting thing for me, to believe that my inexplicable attraction to these places may be linked to my DNA!  I believe that this phenomenon might explain why some people get so hooked on genealogy once they get started.  It's like finding yourself.