Why are memories unreliable?
“I think memory is the most important asset of human beings. It is a kind of fuel; it burns and it warms you. My memory is like a chest: there are so many drawers in this chest, and when I want to be a fifteen- year old boy, I open up a certain drawer and I find the scenery I saw when I was a boy in Kobe. I can smell the air, and I can touch the ground, and I can see the green of the trees. That’s why I want to write a book”
-Haruki Murakami
Revisiting our roots during these times of uncertainty is an anchor our mind is holding on to. Getting connected to people we know, after a long time, has filled us up with nostalgia. I’m not an exception. Rekindling the past with my friends had me finding anecdotes I don’t remember, leaving me with many questions. Why don’t I recall the same experience in such detail despite being an equal part of it? Why is our memory so different, though we experienced the same thing?
There are moments that seem to be very important in one’s life. These are the moments that are etched in memories. It may be one’s first day at school, the time you met a special person or, getting stuck in a dark tunnel.
Our brain stores memories in an incredible way. The study of the human brain has unlocked many mysteries of how the brain handles our memories. Memories are of two kinds: implicit and explicit. Implicit memories are memories that one remembers subconsciously and effortlessly. Explicit memories are memories of facts and events.
Henry Molaison, an American man, underwent brain surgery to treat epilepsy. The surgeons removed a part of the brain. Though this surgery didn’t result in any behavioral change, Henry suffered a memory loss. This case opened up studies of the mechanisms of memories. The result was so severe that he found it difficult to navigate through his own house and even failed to recognize his doctors. Henry was able to recollect historical events but struggled with his daily activities. When an action is performed, sensory information is passed to the brain. When you dance, the music, your movements, and the faces of your audience are recorded in your brain. Hippocampus was the part that was removed from Henry’s brain. This part of the brain helps you to relive your past by stitching together all these elements.
Memories are what keep our identity intact. Commonly, we remember impactful incidents. This is because the dynamics of the memory-making process is closely associated with certain factors. The more intense the emotions, the stronger the memory. When you recollect an experience, the place of occurrence automatically pops into your head. Thus, the place of the incident also plays a vital role. One good example is the movie PAPANAASAM in which the protagonist manipulates different people’s memory using time, place, and personality.
Each time we recollect a memory, we tend to add and forget a few details here and there which were never part of the original memory. As much as recollection helps to strengthen our memories, they may also lead to manipulation. Even our most significant memories can change over time. A study states that the details of a particular memory fade over time by about 50% and the rest of whatever you think of it as a ‘memory’ is fictionalized. Memory studies open up new avenues for a better understanding of the connotations in memory. In conclusion, memories are easily manipulative and unreliable.
Written by
Yasholekha Rajasekhar (2023 EIE)
(Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s opinion and does not reflect SJC’s political stance nor opinion.)
