reminiscence 1. The act or process of recollecting past experiences or events. 2. The faculty of the mind by which it retains the knowledge of previous thoughts, impressions, or events. 3. In Platonic philosophy, anamnesis.

wax lyrical 1589, "act of remembering," from L.L. reminiscentia "remembrance, recollection," from reminiscentem (nom. reminiscens). Meaning "a recollection of something past" is attested from 1811. Reminiscent "evoking memories" is first recorded 1880; reminisce is first recorded 1829.