24. People Reconstruct Memories Each Time They Remember Them

People Reconstruct Memories Each Time They Remember Them

         Memories are fickle things, vulnerable to change and influence. Each time you remember something, a pathway in your brain gets activated. This pathway is not constantly on, so memories become fragments of a larger picture instead of whole memories you can play in their entirety in your mind. Over time these memories can be altered depending on things that have happened since, you might remember someone driving a car they didn't, or even someone being somewhere they weren't. It's for this reason the police can't rely on eyewitness testimonies. Someone they remember about an incident might be altered or just completely wrong. Although they have also said that closing your eyes an focusing can result in more clear memories of events.