Unreliable Memories: Navigating the Uncharted Terrain of the Mind

How Memory Works

Our memories are like the building blocks of who we are. They're not always perfect little blocks, but more like squishy building blocks shaped by our past, our current feelings, even our dreams!

Unreliable memories form the foundation of our subconscious. Some memories endure, while others fade quickly.

In reconstructing memory, our brain doesn't simply replay a recording. What we actually remember, and our current feelings, influence this reconstruction. New memories can interfere with old ones, blurring original details and leaving us with inferences. Our personal beliefs, experiences, and emotions shape how we recall events, leading to potential biases.

Our Reliable Memories

Sometimes, things just happen without us thinking about them. Implicit memory is our brain knowing what to do without us telling it. For example, athletes practice a lot, so their bodies remember how to do things without thinking. When a pianist plays the piano or a soccer player plays soccer, they’re using implicit memory.

Procedural memory helps us do things naturally without thinking about them. It’s our brain learning how to do something by doing it over and over again. This is how a good driver can drive without thinking too much, or how a bicyclist can ride without falling.

Unreliable Memories: Messy, But Totally Us!

We retrieve our memories based on cues, where we apply our past learnings to our present actions.

Sometimes, we feel like we’ve been somewhere before, even though we know we haven’t. This is called déjà vu. It’s our brain thinking it has seen something before, but it is actually new.

It's also important to acknowledge that sometimes, we experience memories that feel real but never actually occurred. This phenomenon can arise due to suggestions and other forms of external influence.

Trying to remember something can feel like solving a puzzle. Two parts are working here: the part we're consciously thinking about—"Okay, what was I wearing that day?"—and the part tucked away in our subconscious. We often end up with a few pieces missing.

Why Our Memories Aren't Reliable

The thinking part of our brain helps us make sense of things, but it can also be a little biased. Like, if we already think something is true, we might only remember those things that prove it. Our feelings can make memories super vivid, but they can also twist them a bit. We might imagine a scary moment very clearly, but it might not be 100% accurate. If we have a strong emotional attachment to a memory, our thinking part may be more likely to embellish or distort it to fit our emotional narrative.

While the thinking part of our brain helps us make rational decisions, it also introduces biases. For example, if we have a preconceived notion about something, we may choose memories that confirm our belief. Similarly, strong feelings lead to vivid memories, even with a distorted perception of events. For instance, we remember a traumatic experience more vividly than a neutral one, because we feel more strongly about it.

Dreams are Unreliable Memories

During REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, we experience our most vivid and memorable dreams. Our brains are incredibly active during REM sleep, almost as much as when we're awake. This intense brain activity creates the rich and detailed experiences we have in our dreams. Dreams are symbolic, with images tapping into our subconscious beliefs, fears, and desires. In a dream, time is non-linear and without sequence.

Sigmund Freud, the pioneer of psychoanalysis, proposed that dreams are windows into our deepest desires and unresolved conflicts. According to Freud, understanding the latent content—the hidden psychological meaning—of dreams can provide profound insights into our emotional lives. However, other scientists argue that dreams are simply our brains attempting to make sense of random neural activity during sleep. Our brains try to weave these random thoughts into coherent stories, even if those stories seem bizarre or nonsensical.

While dreams can be fascinating and revealing, they are often influenced by our emotions, subconscious thoughts, and the unique way our brains process information. When we recall a dream, our current emotional state can color our interpretation of the events within it. We can overthink, and yet completely misunderstand our dreams.