False Memory

The phenomenon where a person recalls something that did not happen or remembers it differently from the way it actually happened.

Memory is reconstructive, not reproductive. Each time we recall an event, we reassemble it from fragments, and external suggestions, emotions, or imagination can alter those fragments.

• Vividly remembering an event from childhood that your parents say never happened.
• Witnesses in court confidently identifying the wrong suspect.
• Believing you locked the door when you actually didn't.

• Don't treat vivid memories as automatically accurate.
• Corroborate important memories with evidence or other people.
• Be cautious of leading questions that might reshape your recollections.
• Write things down close to when they happen for more reliable records.