It’s common for people to occasionally experience mixed up or confused memories. There are a few key reasons why this happens.
Normal Forgetfulness
As we age, it’s normal for our memories to become less sharp and accurate. Our brains change as we get older, making it more difficult to form new memories and recall old ones. Normal age-related memory loss causes many people to misremember details or mix up events that occurred years ago.
Memory decline begins for most people in their 20s and 30s. From our mid-20s onward, we gradually lose brain volume. The hippocampus, which plays a key role in memory formation, is one of the first brain regions to shrink. These natural changes make our recollections less reliable over time.
On top of normal memory loss, everyday forgetfulness also leads to mixed up memories. We fail to encode some details properly when forming a memory, or lose access to those details when trying to retrieve the memory later. Filling in the gaps results in inaccuracies and distortions.
Interference from Similar Memories
When memories are highly similar, they can interfere with each other. This causes details to become blended and confused.
There are two types of interference that mix up related memories:
- Proactive interference – when old memories disrupt recall of newer information
- Retroactive interference – when new memories disrupt recall of old information
For example, you might struggle to remember where you parked today because that memory is competing with the memory of where you parked yesterday. The old memory interferes with retrieving the new one.
This effect is very common for repeated or routine events. If you go to the same restaurant every week, the memories blur together, making it hard to distinguish details between visits. Interference is also common for childhood memories – frequent family holidays to the beach or birthdays with similar gifts can blend together over time.
Reconstructive Nature of Memory
Memories are not recorded and stored like a video tape. Instead, they are reconstructed from various information each time we recall them. This reconstructive process leaves room for errors and distortions over time.
Here’s how memory reconstruction works:
- Encoding – the brain processes sensory information from an event and stores select parts that it deems important
- Consolidation – the memory is stabilized and transferred from short to long-term storage
- Storage – connections between memory fragments are strengthened in long-term storage through repetition and rehearsal
- Retrieval – when a memory is accessed, the brain must reassemble the pieces into a coherent representation of the original event
Filling in the gaps during retrieval results in inaccuracies in the reconstructed memory. We unknowingly add fabricated details or mix up elements from similar memories stored in long-term storage. Childhood memories are particularly susceptible to this reconstructive error due to the extended time for consolidation and storage.
Trauma and Stress
Traumatic or highly stressful experiences can also warp and blend memories. During a trauma, the brain goes into overdrive, impairing its ability to properly encode details. As a result, traumatic memories are often fragmentary, lacking context and chronology.
When trying to retrieve fragmented traumatic memories, we subconsciously fill in gaps. This reconstruction process leads to errors and distortions. We might insert imagined details that didn’t actually happen, or unintentionally import elements from other stressful memories.
For example, a soldier in combat may unconsciously combine details from several firefights into one blended memory. Or a victim of childhood abuse may have trouble distinguishing specific incidents due to trauma’s disruptive effect on encoding.
Suggestibility and Bias
Suggestion and bias from others can insert false details into our own memories. When other people supplement gaps in our memories with new information, we can adopt those suggestions as real memories.
Unconsciously adopting suggested memories is known as confabulation. It often happens when we talk with family members about shared childhood experiences. If they mention an event you don’t remember well, their account can “refill” the gaps and distort your own memory.
Confirmation bias also influences memory errors. We have a tendency to seek out, interpret and create memories in alignment with our existing beliefs and expectations. Confirmation bias combined with suggestibility explains why leading interview questions yield distorted eyewitness testimony in court cases.
Improving Poor Memory
While memory mix-ups are normal, seeing a doctor is recommended if memory loss and confusion are frequent or worsening. Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, depression, PTSD, sleep disorders and other conditions can severely impair recollection. Getting an evaluation is key for diagnosis and treatment.
For typical age-related memory decline, techniques and lifestyle changes can help improve recall:
- Mental exercises like crossword puzzles
- Learning a new skill to strengthen connections between brain cells
- Physical exercise to promote blood flow in the brain
- Stress management through relaxation techniques
- Getting enough sleep to allow memory consolidation
- Avoiding smoking, heavy drinking and unhealthy diets that impair brain function
Memory devices like mnemonic strategies, keeping a diary, making lists and setting phone alerts can compensate for forgetfulness. Just take care not to become overly dependent on compensatory strategies.
Conclusion
Memory is an imperfect process prone to gaps, distortions and errors over time. Mixing up details of similar events is normal due to forgetfulness, interference between memories, the reconstructive nature of recall, trauma, and suggestive bias. While frustrating, mild memory mix-ups are a common experience. Implementing memory improvement strategies can help offset age-related decline. See a doctor if confusion persists, since severe memory impairment may signify an underlying condition.