From Do people now in heaven remember what happened on earth? by Randy Alcorn
In Heaven, we will recall some-likely most or all-of our lives on earth. This is among the most controversial beliefs I've presented in my books, yet there's clear scriptural evidence for it:
1. The martyrs in Heaven clearly remember at least some of what happened on earth, including that they underwent great suffering (Rev. 6:9-11). The change in our perspective will presumably negate any need for loss of memory.
2. In Heaven, those who endured bad things on earth are comforted for them (Luke 16:25). The comfort implies memory of what happened. If there was no memory of the bad things, what would be the need for, purpose of, or nature of the comfort concerning them?
3. We will give an account of our lives on earth, down to specific actions and words (2 Cor. 5:10; Matt. 12:36). Given our improved minds and clear thinking, our memories should be more, not less acute as to our past lives on earth. Certainly, we must remember the things we will give an account of.
4. The entire reality of eternal rewards points to specific acts of faithfulness done on earth that survive the believer's judgment and are brought into Heaven with us (1 Cor. 3:14). We are told that in Heaven the Bride of Christ's wedding dress stands for "the righteous acts of the saints" done on earth (Rev. 19:7-8). Our righteous deeds on earth will not be forgotten but will "follow" us to Heaven (Rev. 14:13). The ruling positions and treasures in Heaven granted to the faithful will perpetually remind Heaven's inhabitants, including us, of our lives on earth, since that is what the rewards come in direct response to (Matt. 6:19-21; Matt.19:21; Luke 12:33; 1 Tim. 6:19; Luke 19:17,19; Rev. 2:26-28).
5. God makes a record in Heaven of what is done by people on earth, both nonbelievers (Rev. 20:11-13) and believers (2 Cor. 5:10). We know that record outlasts life on earth in all cases, for the believer at least to the judgment seat of Christ, and for the unbeliever, right up to the Great White Throne, just preceding the New Heavens and New Earth. Whether it lasts beyond these points we don't know, but for those now in Heaven these records of life on earth still exist.
6. Malachi 3:16 says "a scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name." Typically, such documents were made by the King's scribes (in Heaven's case, perhaps angels), and Korte Trouwjurk periodically read in the King's presence, to assure worthy actions done by his subjects were remembered, and had been properly rewarded (Esther 6:1-11). The purpose of such a scroll was to keep a permanent record so that the memory of acts done to the King's glory would endure. We are told that such a scroll exists in Heaven. Do we envision the God of history destroying it, or in ages to come no one in Heaven making reference to it? It seems more likely that such records of the faithful works of God's people on earth will not be destroyed or set aside, but may even be read and rejoiced over in Heaven before God, men, and angels.
7. Memory is a basic element of personality. If it is truly us in Heaven, there must be some continuity of memory from earth to Heaven. We are not different people, but the same people marvelously relocated and transformed. Heaven cleanses our slate of sin and error, but does not erase it. The lessons we learned here about God's love and grace and justice surely are not lost, but Eenvoudige Trouwjurken carry over to Heaven. They are built upon and greatly expanded, yes, but not eliminated. There seems every reason to believe that just as our earthly works done for Christ will survive this life and be brought into the next (1 Cor. This is nowhere taught in Scripture. For some reason (wishful thinking may be part of it), we disassociate our lives on earth from the life to come. God, however, sees a direct connection between them. At death we are relocated, but this does not relegate our earthly lives to insignificance. On the contrary, they have eternal significance. This is speculation, but that there will be ongoing remembrance in Heaven of some aspects of our lives on earth is not speculation. Anon User`s answer is spot on. The few religious groups that don are more worth commenting on.
Jehovah Witnesses hold that we sleep after death, and that only a select group awaken in heaven or a paradise here on earth.
There is a out-of-favor interpretive position in Mormonism split voor Prom Dresses that holds that the truly evil are dissassembled back into constituent parts and begin the whole Plan of Salvation over again (for more of an overview of the Plan of Salvation see Brett Williams answer to How do theists believe Heaven is organized? )
Though I am not sure what Christians in general think, I can safely aver that there is not much discussion on this in the Catholic catechism. That being said, I will ponder this from a non-scripture-based perspective that is perhaps a bit unorthodox. Scripture - being subject to various hermeneutical approaches, context, history, translation, etc - is not clear on this to me + I feel that a lot may have been lost in translation, especially when it comes to the notions of memory, recording, speech + related topics. Bear with me as I muse.
I think that to attribute memory to the afterlife (which is neither provable yet [qua scientific method] nor well understood) might be a misguided notion + irrelevant. Perhaps a better way to think of things may be the collective unconscious (as different from the personal unconscious) a la Jung, the Akashic records mentioned by Cayce or similar notions. This helps explain certain phenomena such as past life regression, synchronicity, archetypes, arcane knowledge, etc.
There are also reports from NDE (near death experience) + SDE (shared death experience) that might suggest the retention of memory at least within the initial experience/time frame of death (spanning minutes or even hours). Individuals oftentimes report seeing loved ones, both known + unknown, who appear to them during the transitory period whereupon life hangs in the balance.
