memory, false

n. Recollections of events that have not actually occurred. In the retrieval of information and recoding into a form used in verbal communication, there are often inclusions of information which is not factually true, and in some cases there is little or no truth to the information in some memories. Memories can be influenced by more recent experience, and there is much controversy over some memories, particularly memories of childhood abuse by adults, which some researchers claim have been suggested or implanted by therapists or other persons.