Which type of memory involves personally experienced events, requiring mental time travel to recall?

Episodic memory is specifically related to the ability to recall personally experienced events, which often involves a sense of "mental time travel." This means that when individuals remember specific events from their past, they can re-experience those moments in their mind, recalling details such as the time, place, people involved, and even the emotions felt at that time.

Episodic memory contrasts with semantic memory, which refers to general knowledge and facts that are not tied to personal experience, such as knowing that Paris is the capital of France. Procedural memory, on the other hand, deals with skills and tasks that can be performed automatically, like riding a bike or playing an instrument, rather than recalling events. Declarative memory encompasses both episodic and semantic memory and does not specifically capture the personalized aspect of recalling specific experiences in time.

Thus, episodic memory is uniquely identified by its focus on individual experiences and the subjective recall of events, making it the correct answer.