Yes, you can actually “brainwash” yourself this way. Every time you remember something, you’re basically rewriting the memory into your brain. So every time you remember something, it becomes less reliable as it has more chances of being corrupted by new information.
So if you remember a childhood memory, then for some reason you add a detail that wasn’t there before, that’s the new memory.
Example: you remember going to the zoo as a kid, and you remember seeing a monkey. Then your mom shows you a photo album of your trip to the zoo, and in it, there’s a picture of you watching a lion.
Next time you remember that trip to the zoo, you’ll probably remember seeing a lion too, even though originally you didn’t at all.
Yes, you can actually “brainwash” yourself this way. Every time you remember something, you’re basically rewriting the memory into your brain. So every time you remember something, it becomes less reliable as it has more chances of being corrupted by new information.
So if you remember a childhood memory, then for some reason you add a detail that wasn’t there before, that’s the new memory.
Example: you remember going to the zoo as a kid, and you remember seeing a monkey. Then your mom shows you a photo album of your trip to the zoo, and in it, there’s a picture of you watching a lion.
Next time you remember that trip to the zoo, you’ll probably remember seeing a lion too, even though originally you didn’t at all.
Memory is incredibly unreliable.