Memory Accuracy Fades - 859 Words

Many people would swear that they are able to remember an event that happened to them with complete accuracy. However, this may not always be the case. Over time, it is not uncommon for people’s memories to fade and deteriorate, but what many don’t realize is that it’s possible for memories to actually transform themselves or be created entirely. With the possibility of memories being changed or fabricated by the human mind, can memory really be trusted? Most of us hold the view that â€Å"memory is much like a tape recorder or video recorder, holding a perfectly accurate record of what has been experienced. Nothing could be further from the truth† (Thompson and Madigan 6). Memory is amazing; however, the human â€Å"memory system is far from perfect,† but it is most certainly adequate (Mlodinow 63). For the most part, it can be described as being accurate and efficient. â€Å"We may not intentionally change the details of our memories, but the process of remembering changes our memories. â€Å"Just as editing on a computer usually overwrites the original file, revisiting an event can revise your memory† (Kowalski 34). Details of events can be subtracted from memories. Many factors can contribute to this including time and trauma (Laney and Loftus 138). In fact, memories have the potential to be eliminated completely if the neuron carrying them dies (Minirth 73). The mood a person possesses during an event can also affect the way it will be remembered. For instance, if a person is in anShow MoreRelatedDistributed Vs. 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