Scientists Say the Brain Can Create False Memories That Feel Real — And This Is How They’re Formed

When we think of the past, we usually trust our brain to be truthful, but what if the events we remember never actually happened? Research has shown that the human brain can create false memories that feel so real that we can’t differentiate them anymore from reality.

However, this was not a mistake, but a fundamental structure of our brains. They are created by how our mind organizes, reconstructs, and even imagines memories.

How Imagination Inflation Tricks the Brain

When people imagine events that never actually happened, the very act of imagining could cause the brain to become familiar with the thought. Then, after time passes by, that familiarity plays a role that tricks the brain into thinking you are imagining a real memory.

This phenomenon is known as imagination inflation, and it happens because the brain gets confused about which memory is from a real, actual event. Unlike that scene from one SpongeBob episode, where his brain showcases the memory as files with labels on a drawer organized properly, our memories lack clear labeling from the brain’s perspective.

Studies by memory expert Elizabeth Loftus found that about 25% of people can somehow imagine big parts of their childhood to be memories even if it is not because of this trick. The line between what is real and what is imagined is already not clear, so by creating a sense of familiarity and connection with both, they become even more confusing.

Read more: Wikipedia

The Role of Misinformation and Source Confusion

The False Memory Effect - How Fake Memories Change Us

The brain also finds it hard to remember where the retrieved information came from, so subtle, plausible misinformation, like a phrase or question about the thought, could easily create fake memories. It is explained by a type of memory mistake called source monitoring errors.

Source monitoring errors refer to a phenomenon where the person attributes the memory to a completely different origin. Which means they could create false memories that will still feel real, because it is a combination of two or more true experiences.

Read more: University of Chicago

Brain Mechanisms Behind False Memories

All of the false memories could be caused by the mechanisms by which our brain operates. Neuroscientists reveal that during the imaging of a person remembering the past, the sensory brain region activates for true recollection, while false memories are triggered by weaker activation and reduced prefrontal monitoring.

This structure makes errors more prone, so your false memories might not be because you created them consciously. It could also be just a tiny mistake from your brain, after all, its responsibilities and functionality are so much more than just remembering.

Read more: UCI | PNAS

Social Influence, Trauma & Individual Differences

Social influence, trauma, and individual differences also play a role. During a social interaction, a person’s memory could be altered, especially if they are unsure, traumatized, and under pressure to remember.

Also called memory conformity, it refers to other people’s recollection influencing someone’s memory details. But the difference in a person’s body could play a big role, too, because that will affect how they retrieve and save memory.

How reliable is your memory? | Elizabeth Loftus

Author's Final Thoughts

False memories are not just glitches or something rare; they stem from our everyday mental load and processes like imagination, memory retrieval, and social interactions. Understanding them could help us be aware of how some people could be so confident that something actually happened, when it never did.

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