Explicit memories are types of memories that involve conscious recall of information. They can be divided into two categories: episodic memory, which pertains to personal experiences and specific events, and semantic memory, which involves facts and general knowledge. For example, remembering your last birthday party is an episodic memory, while knowing that Paris is the capital of France is a semantic memory. These memories are formed through a process called encoding, where information is transformed into a format that can be stored in the brain. Explicit memories are often tested through recall or recognition tasks, such as answering questions or identifying previously learned information.