Deaf have “Genetic Memory”?
One of my favorite books was “Clan of the Cave Bear” by Jean Auel. It was about a Human girl who gets adopted by a group of Neanderthals during the Ice Age. The Neanderthals had the ability to have “genetic memory” so if one person learned or experienced something new, that information would be passed down to his or her descendants. In this vlog, I discuss our Deaf “genetic memory”.
V/blogs referenced:
Karen Mayes said,
June 24, 2008 @ 3:44 am
It is called empathy.
Lolypup said,
June 24, 2008 @ 4:51 am
I love these books and reread them as often as I can. However you made a mistake in your explanation. In the books they do have genetic memory or what the author referred to often as “old memory.”
However they were NOT able to learn anything new and pass that information to the next generation. In fact this is what made Ayla different from the Clan. She did not posses this “old memory” and she was able to learn, explore and discover new things.
The Clan sadly were set in their ways with their old memories never able to learn new things and of course would face extinction because of this inability to adapt to a new and changing world with only their “old memories.”
E said,
June 24, 2008 @ 8:56 am
I think it is somewhat ridiculous to compare a unique ability in a work of fiction to what’s real, the Deaf community.
Besides, all cultures, communities, and races, and even I daresay the whole human race, have this thing. It’s archetypal memories. Ever hear of Carl Jung?
I think it is interesting, in an amusing way, that you’re trying to put the Deaf on a pedestal for a trait that EVERYONE in the whole world has… from individuals, cultures, races, and even humanity.
DrDonG said,
June 24, 2008 @ 12:33 pm
Lolypup,
It’s been a long time since I read those books — I remembered the “old memory” part, but I might have misremembered about not being able to pass to the next generation. In any case….
E,
Yes, it’s a fictional work, I was using it as a springboard to my thoughts. Carl Jung’s archetypes would also work in part in relation to what I’m saying here, However…
Karen,
I’m talking more than just “empathy”. Empathy is “oh, that must have been terrible for you”. I’m talking about how we can feel almost as if it was happening to ourselves — put another way, “there but for the grace of God go I”. And that is why we are working on the issues and fighting for the future Deaf generations — because for the grace of God go I and you and them.
Richard Roehm said,
June 24, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
Reminds me of a movie; The Emerald Forest.
Richard
DrDonG said,
June 24, 2008 @ 2:49 pm
Richard,
How so? I don’t know the movie, as I’m sure many do. What aspect of the movie are you referring to, and what aspect of this vlog (or the comments?) does it pertain to?
Elena said,
June 24, 2008 @ 7:41 pm
I never knew that you appreciated Auel’s works as well
I loved the series and was very much attracted to the idea of immediate acquired knowledge being a part of the genetic code among the Neanderthals.
I see your point in using Auel’s works as a platform to describe the innate sense of belonging that Deaf persons experience once totally open to accepting their Deafhood, Deaf identity, etc. Auel seemed to describe the “old memory” as something that the Neanderthals could clearly recall in their information base from an early age, remembering generations past, etc., whereas many of us have to form that sense of belonging/collectivism after some difficult trails in life (such as attempting to assimilate into hearing culture, only to later realize the sheer futility of such efforts), but with both situations, the spirit remains the same– a poetic collective identity that is shared by the community.
I caught your warning that you were not comparing Deaf people to Neanderthals per se, but Neanderthals should not be viewed as “subhuman” or below the “superiority” of Homo sapiens, but as an offshoot of the “Homo” genetic lineage that just happened to become extinct. Maintaining a hierarchy among the Homo offshoots seems to be parallel to modern day racism and ethnicism. Just throwing that out there!
~Elena, formerly known as “resident Pinko”