Just something I've been thinking about, because it happened again recently, and I wondered if there was an explanation for it, or if it has happened to anyone else.
Since I've been quite young, I've had these flashes of vivid memory, that simply aren't mine.
When I was in my early teens, I heard a piece of classical music - I can't remember what it was now- and all of a sudden I had this memory of being in a dark hall, listening to music, and seeing the woman in front of me lean over and gesture to a friend, she was wearing a ring with a large stone, which caught the lamplight and flashed on her hand.
Another one is monkey puzzle trees. Anytime I see a monkey puzzle tree, especially if it's standing a little off on its own, I get a picture of standing at a bay window, looking out on to a small, close cut old lawn - you know the type you get in old vicarage - listening to some rooks cawing in a monkey puzzle tree, and feeling really peaceful and contented.
Also, the first Christmas my children were all old enough to talk/know what was going on and get properly excited, I went Christmas shopping, sneaked in home late, feeling really proud of myself for getting organised, and I could hear them chattering in the kitchen. The air had that crisp, frosty smell, and out of nowhere, I thought "I remember this. How lovely to be able to do this again"
Another one- sitting in an old fashioned room, furnished in dark wood and forest green, feeling utterly smothered and eating stale cake. I actually visited a small NT property last year, there was a late Victorian sitting room decorated in such a way and it immediately made me think of the memory
There's been a few other such memories and feelings. It's strange, because they feel as real as the memories I know are mine, but they simply couldn't be. Mostly the memories feel like those of an adult, even though I wasn't always a adult when I had the memory.
I have a fairly good memory in general, my earliest memory is from I was 18 months old and has been confirmed by my mum. I can remember lots of details rather than feelings - that's actually partly why these memories seem different, I couldn't tell you many details, but the feeling is the same. So the sight of a monkey puzzle tree will trigger the feeling of being contented I had in that memory, however if I remember some things that did actually happen to me, eg my Grandad's funereal, I won't remember feeling sad (I was) but I remember the skirt I was wearing
I'm an atheist, and not generally woo, but this has happened frequently enough that it does make me wonder