Educational articles

Laura Bojarskaitė / Photo by Pijus Gulbinas

Our memory and recollections define our identity. This becomes strikingly clear in cases where memory is disrupted: people who have suffered head trauma or developed amnesia often lose a sense of who they are. However, did you know that every time we recall something, that memory can change - and often does? The reason lies in the fact that the neural networks encoding a memory become susceptible to modification. While a memory remains unused, safely stored in our brain - like a porcelain dish tucked away in a cabinet - it remains intact. But the moment we "take it out of the cabinet," it becomes vulnerable. Each time a memory is recalled, the neural network becomes sensitive to change. Under the right conditions, a memory can be altered, strengthened, or even erased.

This phenomenon mainly affects autobiographical - episodic memories - not motor memory (e.g., playing a musical instrument or dancing) or semantic memory (e.g., knowing the Earth orbits the Sun). The most vulnerable memories are old autobiographical - episodic ones that we have recalled many times. Remembering is similar to taking a scoop of ice cream from the freezer: while it sits at room temperature (active in our mind), it begins to melt. When we stop thinking about it, it is placed back in the freezer. The next time we recall it, it melts again - leading to further changes. As the neural pathway of a memory evolves, its meaning can shift too:

At Christmas, my brother lost a toy – At Easter, my brother lost a toy – At Easter, I lost a toy.

Memory is less like a video recording and more like the game "telephone." Each time we recall an event, we are remembering the last version of it - not the original. Information received during the act of remembering can influence the memory in one direction or another. As a result, each subsequent recall renders it increasingly less accurate until, eventually, it may become completely distorted and turn into a false memory.

Our mood, emotions, and feelings also impact our memories. If we are stressed, stress hormones make the neural network of a memory even more vulnerable. Moreover, memories tend to change to align with our beliefs. This shift depends on how we see ourselves or how we wish to be perceived.

The malleability of memory is crucial in addressing psychological trauma, where therapy can "rewrite" extremely negative experiences stored in memory.

The fact that memories can change and even become false is the price we pay for having a flexible brain - one that allows us to adapt to our environment.

This text is based on excerpts from a lecture by neuroscientist Dr. Laura Bojarskaitė, titled "Unreliable Memory and False Memories," as part of the educational club "Aesthetics Sommelier."