Memories. Real or false?

[simpsons2007]

Are all memories real?

I know that you can have false memories. But do false memories have some sort of truth behind them? Or are they completely false and you believe that they are real and really happened?

How can you tell the difference between real memories and false memories? If you don't have anyone you can ask about them because no one else was around when you believe that these memories happened?

It's just because over the past few months I've had a few flashback images which ain't very clear. Of when I was a child which I'm finding quit distressing. And I don't know if they are real or my mind has made them up.

 

[xDreamseller]

Do you mean kind of like how you sometimes aren't sure if yo are remembering something or just remembering the story of someone else telling you what happened? (A lot of my childhood I'm not sure whether they are memories or just me remembering being told about stuff that happened)

 

[user deleted]

There's actually a really excellent book that goes over memory recovery and the nature of autiobiographical memory. Unfortunately it's pretty expensive, but if this is something you're really interesting, maybe a worthy investment.

Recovered Memories and False Memories Debates in Psychology: Amazon.co.uk: Martin A. Conway: Books

The chapter which I think is of particular interest:

In this chapter, the author first describes a cognitive model of the autobiographical memory (AM) system and considers the process of autobiographical remembering. This model, which proposes that memories are transitory mental constructions compiled from different types of autobiographical knowledge, is then applied to the notion of memory recovery.
Memory recovery has become a highly contentious issues in the area of recovered memories of childhood traumas and especially in recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Memory recovery, however, as a 'fact' of AM is ubiquitous and the issue is whether this takes a different form in the recovery of CSA memories compared with more 'everyday' memories. The author shows that cognitive models of AM and the somewhat less developed models of AM in the psychoanalytic literature, particularly the models of Freud (J. Breuer and Freud 1893; Freud 1900) and E. Kris (1956), are in fact highly compatible. Moreover, the processes of memory recovery suggested by the cognitive model can be easily and profitable extended to memories of trauma.
The phenomenon of false memory is considered next, and various ways in which false memories can arise are outline: it is a property of the cognitive model that AMs are, in certain respects, always 'false.' Finally, conscious states associated with the construction of true and false memories are discussed and it is proposed that states of conscious awareness characteristic of the 2 types of memory construction might provide important clues to memory accuracy.

There are a lot of books about false memories. It's really worth understanding how memory works, how a 'true' memory is recorded (and whether a 'true' memory is actually really 'true') and theories of repression before you understand how false memories differ. If you don't feel like picking this one up (it may be in your library, particularly if you have access to a college library) then I really would say find some other related texts. It's worth having a full understanding of, I think most people would be hard-pressed to condense everything into a succinct reply. I could be wrong though.

 

[WeirdyMcGee]

The way I remember things is from a point of view where I see myself as well-- more like a movie being played out before me rather than watching events out my own set of eyes.
It's confusing. I can never be sure if I'm recalling a dream or imagining a memory-- or if it's real.

 

[simpsons2007]

Do you mean kind of like how you sometimes aren't sure if yo are remembering something or just remembering the story of someone else telling you what happened? (A lot of my childhood I'm not sure whether they are memories or just me remembering being told about stuff that happened)

Yes I mean it's because I think I'm remembering something that happened but I'm not sure if it really happened or not.

No one has told me a story of what I think had happened when I was younger. Because I've never told anyone about these memories before.

 

[xDreamseller]

The way I remember things is from a point of view where I see myself as well-- more like a movie being played out before me rather than watching events out my own set of eyes.
It's confusing. I can never be sure if I'm recalling a dream or imagining a memory-- or if it's real.

Most of my "memories" are like that too!

 

[simpsons2007]

There's actually a really excellent book that goes over memory recovery and the nature of autiobiographical memory. Unfortunately it's pretty expensive, but if this is something you're really interesting, maybe a worthy investment.

Recovered Memories and False Memories Debates in Psychology: Amazon.co.uk: Martin A. Conway: Books

The chapter which I think is of particular interest:

In this chapter, the author first describes a cognitive model of the autobiographical memory (AM) system and considers the process of autobiographical remembering. This model, which proposes that memories are transitory mental constructions compiled from different types of autobiographical knowledge, is then applied to the notion of memory recovery.
Memory recovery has become a highly contentious issues in the area of recovered memories of childhood traumas and especially in recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Memory recovery, however, as a 'fact' of AM is ubiquitous and the issue is whether this takes a different form in the recovery of CSA memories compared with more 'everyday' memories. The author shows that cognitive models of AM and the somewhat less developed models of AM in the psychoanalytic literature, particularly the models of Freud (J. Breuer and Freud 1893; Freud 1900) and E. Kris (1956), are in fact highly compatible. Moreover, the processes of memory recovery suggested by the cognitive model can be easily and profitable extended to memories of trauma.
The phenomenon of false memory is considered next, and various ways in which false memories can arise are outline: it is a property of the cognitive model that AMs are, in certain respects, always 'false.' Finally, conscious states associated with the construction of true and false memories are discussed and it is proposed that states of conscious awareness characteristic of the 2 types of memory construction might provide important clues to memory accuracy.

There are a lot of books about false memories. It's really worth understanding how memory works, how a 'true' memory is recorded (and whether a 'true' memory is actually really 'true') and theories of repression before you understand how false memories differ. If you don't feel like picking this one up (it may be in your library, particularly if you have access to a college library) then I really would say find some other related texts. It's worth having a full understanding of, I think most people would be hard-pressed to condense everything into a succinct reply. I could be wrong though.

Hi Amp.

Thank you very much, for taking the time to post a link to the book. And posting a few paragraphs from it. It looks like a very interesting read. But it's too complicated for me to read. I'll use google to see if I can find a simpler book to read.

 

[Lea]

There are a few memories that I can´t manage to establish if it was real or a dream. It is so weird.

 

[ricryboster]

In this chapter, the author first describes a cognitive model of the autobiographical memory (AM) system and considers the process of autobiographical remembering. This model, which proposes that memories are transitory mental constructions compiled from different types of autobiographical knowledge, is then applied to the notion of memory recovery.

 

[simpsons2007]

eep, i'm dealing with the exact same thing right now and it's frustrating me, two troubling childhood memories that have recently surfaced. i can recall a few fragments but i'm not clear on what really happened. i wish i knew whether it's worth exploring. :/

If you think you can handle the truth about your memories. If they do turn out to be true. Then I think it is worth finding out if it did happen.

But if you don't feel quite ready yet. Then I would leave it until you feel like you can handle what went on.

 

[HappySquidward]

I had a memory of something that happened when I was very young that I started to believe was just a dream, but then someone brought it up so I know it's true now.

 

[surewhynot]

The simple fact that your memories usually happen from a third person point of view, and not from your own first person point of view, proves that memories are constructions of your mind, atleast partially.

If you tell a young kid ''Remember that time when we went to Disneyland?'' over and over again, even though he has NEVER been to Disneyland, sooner or later he will actually believe that he has been there, and will start telling his friends ''When I went to Disneyland it was so amazing'' etc.

Conclusion is, you can never be 100% sure about the authencity of your memories, and there is no way to validate them without outside sources, which can also be biased.

Hope this helps.