Comments on: False memories: Did you lock the door or just imagine it?

By: Astrolab

Astrolab — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:15:38 +0000

(sorry for my english, i am french) I often have false memories in which I have sincere doubt if I dreamed something or lived it actually. During a couple of days, I was pretty sure a good friend of mine and I flirted (and more) in the past, while actually, it never happened (not that I didn’t want might be an explanation). Then I remembered clues allowing me to be sure it never happened. Things like that happen to me quite often.
I am very interested in the induction of false memory in magic and manipulation… are there books about it ?

By: Francs Booth

Francs Booth — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 15:57:12 +0000

This would have been great had it have read:

“Psychologist Daniel Schacter of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., who has edited a book on false memories, says he hasn’t read the new paper, [...but had seen a video of somebody else reading it.]”

By: Radu C

Radu C — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 14:19:39 +0000

Happens so often to me that I decided to just slow down everything I do. So far, the “did you lock it?” question comes in time for me to be able to check without going back or worrying about it. To make things worse, one day I actually forgot to lock my front door, but was absolutely convinced that I did, adding to my “slow down” routine. If this question comes and I don’t know the answer to it, I then obsess over it, which can be really frustrating on a dark chilly night when I can’t sleep because I don’t know if I locked my car, and my car isn’t in view to see the blinking red LED of the inside rear view mirror from my window. Now I just need to do this while driving

By: Nick Hewling

Nick Hewling — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:41:17 +0000

Yes, all this vicarious living, I really should stop watching Derren’s old DVDs over and over again!

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:01:59 +0000

You guys should watch Memento, it will blow your minds!

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:29:34 +0000

Cant say I ever had a memory based on doing someone else do something. I do remember at times perhaps having done something because it is on my mind. I know also though that it might be the thought of doing it, and already getting into that action but getting disrupted by someone else or something .. so the task has not been done but the brain already saved it as been done.

Lots of examples in this area. A little bit of self study is not always out of use. It helps you understand your own flaws (and you dont always need to think .. oh, lazy me probably again (often not the case) and those of others. Not that it gets lets complex due to that though.

Digital work also triggers the mind in another way than working plainly with paper. You need to keep track of different things/systems.

By: Mrtotes

Mrtotes — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:04:13 +0000

I’m most intrigued how courts of law might handle this subject one day. The fact that reality is so fluid explains why we all can all argue blind about good and bad, left and right or mac and pc…

I think I can remember my father telling me perception is everything – but in all honesty I could have read it in a book..

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 09:25:51 +0000

This is something I’ve noticed as very common. Where someone else does something but another person that was there seems to have this memory of them doing it and when you say to them about it they get a little bit confused and then think about how it wasn’t actually them. I’ve done this myself a few times too.

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:51:28 +0000

If I live the lives of famous people vicariously through twitter, can I convince myself that it is my life?
Or should I just get a life of my own…

By: nik sargent

nik sargent — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:44:52 +0000

I’m sure I’ve seen this article before…. oh… wait… err.