If all the data received by our senses were stored in our memory, we would soon be overwhelmed. The subconscious sorts through the input and retains only a fraction for permanent memory storage. Every second, the eyes absorb ten million bits of information, the skin takes in one million bits, and the ears receive one-hundred thousand bits. Of these millions of bits processed, only about forty bits reach the conscious mind. Data that are not deleted are sorted and filtered by the subconscious, then consigned to long-term memory.

The active brain can remember things that actually did not happen or that are not correct. The mind makes assumptions to link events. People remember words that are implicit or not stated, with the same probability as explicit words. Studies with fMRI have demonstrated that the same brain areas are activated during questions and answers about both true and false events. This may explain why false memories can seem so compelling to the individual reporting the events.

Types of Memory

Remembering