The ability for the brain to encode, store, and recall information is known as memory. Experience serves as a roadmap for future action.

Memory includes both consciously recalled facts and experienced details as well as deeply embedded knowledge that pops up without thought or even awareness. It serves as both a temporary information storage space and a more lasting record of what has been learned. Scientists have identified several different types of memory, including episodic, semantic, procedural, working, sensory, and prospective memory.

From the vivid memories of episodic memory to the practical knowledge of procedural memory, each type of memory has a specific purpose. However, there are similarities in the way memory functions generally, and certain parts of the brain, like the hippocampus, are crucial for different types of memory.