Recallity vs. Reality

Recall refers to the retrieval of events or information from the past and, along with encoding and storage, is one of the core processes of memory. But what we think we recall might not always be what actually happened. Despite our efforts to remember past memories, our “recallity” is oftentimes not synonymous with reality. In fact, according to scientists, no matter how good our recall is, we still have false memories. The way real memories and false memories form in the brain appear to be the same. Even people with “perfect memory” can be tricked into recalling fake events. As scientific and technological discoveries uncover more about everything from sensory and time perception to sleeping and dreaming, we are learning that recallity and reality are not always congruent. More will be uncovered in coming years about lucid dreaming and how this affects our experiences, behaviors and relationships in the real world, including how it may affect performance, productivity and motivation.