The Science Behind Our False Memories

Author: Suhani Patel

Editors: Galiba Anjum and Simran Gohel

Artists: Daelah Nicholas

Although memories seem to be solid and straightforward to most people, strong evidence suggests that memories are much more complex, subject to change, and often simply unreliable. Memories of past events can be reconstructed either as people age or as their views and beliefs change. People regularly recall childhood events falsely, and through effective suggestions and various methods, it's been proven that they can even create new false memories. Mind-blowing right?

Why exactly are memories fallible? Research suggests that when an individual has a poor memory, the