Ritwik Deshpande - Week #14 - Real vs Fake Memories
For all of you reading this article, you’ve probably experienced or at least heard of “false memories.” False memories can be thought of as recollections of events that have never actually occurred, or a warped and distorted perception of real events that did in fact occur. They feel as vivid and real as true memories, which can make it difficult to distinguish between false and real memories at times. This is caused because the brain isn’t really a perfect recording device. Instead, it has its flaws and compromises that allow it to fill in gaps in the storyline of memories that occur.
The way in which false memories form is quite fascinating. They can often arise from repeated exposure to fictitious or fabricated events, which blends this knowledge and embeds it into one’s memory. For example, hearing a story repeatedly over and over again may cause someone to “remember” it as a true experience. Even if it never happened, it would feel as real as a true memory, just as a vague recollection usually. As you might think, fake memories rarely occur as highly visual and sensory as certain memories can be. Although they can be vivid, they usually don’t involve a lot of sensory stimulation.
False memories are mostly something that affect older adults and little kids. However, they can also be an occurrence in the lives of adolescents and adults. Most false memories are harmless and don’t cause that much of a disturbance in peoples’ lives, since important events aren’t misremembered or faked by the brain for obvious reasons. Something that could be a fake memory would be remembering leaving your car keys in one spot but later checking that spot to find them missing. However, there have been instances where false memories have affected legal proceedings in courts, in which eyewitness testimony was based on false memories. Although this is really rare, it has happened before and innocent people have gone to jail for actions they’ve never committed.
Hi Ritwik,
ReplyDeleteI find your blog extremely relatable as I can relate to the feeling of experiencing these “false memories.” I find your interest in false memories interesting because at one point in my life I was also interested in how these memories form because we have never experienced these emotions before. I like how you relate the brain to an object that has flaws and is not perfect to show why errors in memories can form or come about. I like how your interest also has practical applications as many people have got punished for crimes they haven’t done because of relapses in memories causing issues in judgments and the trial result overall. I also like how you don’t go into too much detail behind the science to keep the audience’s attention and not make them bored of reading your blog. Overall, I thought you had a great blog, and I enjoyed it.
-Krish
Hi Ritwik! Your blog this week was really interesting! I’ve learned about the concept of “false memories” in my AP Psychology class and that our brains use our mental sets(cognitive framework) to fill in the missing parts of our memories. Learning about the intricacies of the brain never fails to interest me and I think it’s really cool how frequently hearing about an incident can turn it into a real vivid memory, making one feel as if they had actually experienced it. But as you said, false memories could be dangerous at times, especially if it’s regarding serious issues such as court cases when one’s memories can be used to validate or contradict another’s claim. I’m pretty sure my brain forms a lot of fake memories but I just never realize it. Have you ever experienced a fake memory formation?
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