How do we remember events

Episodic memory was first described as the memory system that receives and stores information about events [ 1 ]. Since then, studies of episodic memory have tended to use simple, highly controlled stimuli to probe its cognitive and neural underpinnings. By contrast, the study of ‘event memory’ has focussed on memory function in more real-world situations, or used naturalistic stimuli such as movies as a stand-in for reality [ 2 ]. Recently there has been an explosion in studies that have combined cognitive experiments using naturalistic stimuli with neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI and EEG, to shed light on how the brain underpins event memory. This review summarises the achievements of these studies and highlights areas that await further work.