We are endlessly fascinated with memory – we desire to improve it and fear its loss. While it has long been recognised that brain regions such as the hippocampus are vital for supporting memories of our past experiences, we still lack fundamental knowledge about the mechanisms involved. This is because studying the neural signatures of memories in vivo in humans presents a significant challenge. However, recent developments in high-resolution structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging coupled with advanced analysis methods now permit access to hippocampal processing that has hitherto been precluded in humans. In this talk I will describe how the application of ‘decoding’ techniques to brain imaging data is now beginning to disclose how individual memory representations develop and change, while also illuminating why some people have clearer memories than others, and why confusion about past experiences characterises normal aging and pathological states.