Do Zombies Remember Their Lives?

One of the most interesting questions in the field of Zombie research is - Do Zombies Remember Their Lives?  Since Zombies can only be killed by destroying their brains, it stands to reason that zombies do have brain function.

Photo by http://www.cgpgrey.com [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

What do Zombie Brains Do?

 Zombies have very busy brains.  Zombie brain functions are used to handle involuntary tasks like breathing, circulation, and processing sensations from nerves.  The Zombie brain handles the five senses:  sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.  The Zombie brain must also propel Zombies towards satisfying their hunger by eating humans.

Do Zombies have Conscious Thoughts? 

When observing television and movie depictions of Zombies, it is easy to come across hints that Zombies might have some residual memories.  According to Yahoo Answers respondents, in The Walking Dead, there are small hints like a young child Zombie clutching her doll or Morgan's wife trying to return to her home as a Zombie.

Do Zombies have Conscious Thoughts? 

To me it seems like Zombies have flashes of recognition or sadness when they look into the faces of the living.  In his short story, Dog Walk of the Apocalypse, author Alexander Z Pain actually has newly re-animated Zombies say a word or two.  Of course, these aren't complex expressions.  It seems like zombies may have some fleeting moments of conscious thought, but their brains have been so scattered by death and reanimation that they cannot act on these thoughts.  Over a period of time, a zombies conscious thoughts are diminished more and more.