A false memory is a memory which is a distortion of an actual experience, or a confabulation of an imagined one. Many false memories involve confusing and mixing fragments of memory events, some of which may have happened at different times but which we remember as occurring together.
Many false memories involve an error in source memory .
Some involve treating dreams as if they were playbacks of real experiences. Still other false memories are believed to be the result of the prodding, leading, and suggestions of therapists and counselors. A memory of your mother throwing a glass of milk on your father when in fact it was your father who threw the milk is a false memory based upon an actual experience. Distortions such as switching the roles of people in one's memory are quite common. Some distortions are quite dramatic, such as the following examples of false memories due to confusion about the source of the memory.