Mind Hacks

Hack #85. Create False Memories

Here is one way of creating memories of things that you haven’t actually experienced.

We’ve seen how memory’s way of orienting us to our surroundings has all the ingredients for a hack [[Hack #83]]—a fast-and-loose process that is expressed through gut sensation. Here we will see that even more measured and absolute experiences, like recalling an event or information, can also be fooled. The processes that sit behind familiarity, or word recall (in this example), use a whatever-works principle. They’re ad hoc, not carefully designed filing systems that pack away memories and bring them out later for comparison or regurgitation. By seeing where these processes break down, here by constructing very simple false memories, we can shed light on how memory works.

In Action

Let’s show false memory construction with a couple of word lists. First wrap your eyes around the words in Table 9-3, read them out loud once, then close the book and try to list all the words you saw.

Table 9-3. Read these words aloud straight off, and then close the book and write down all you can remember

THREAD	POINT	HURT
PIN	PRICK	INJECTION
EYE	THIMBLE	SYRINGE
SEWING	HAYSTACK	CLOTH
SHARP	THORN	KNITTING

Do the same with the next set listed in Table 9-4: read the words aloud, then close the book and make a list.

Table 9-4. As before, read these words aloud, and then write down all you can remember

BED	WAKE	SNORE
REST	SNOOZE	NAP
AWAKE	BLANKET	PEACE
TIRED	DOZE	YAWN ...