recovered memories

Recovered memories refer to memories of past events, often involving trauma, that individuals suddenly recall after a period of forgetting or repressed amnesia. These memories may surface spontaneously or during therapy, and their accuracy can be uncertain. The concept suggests that people might forget traumatic experiences as a psychological defense mechanism and later "recover" those memories. However, whether these reconstructed memories are true or influenced by suggestive techniques remains debated within psychology. It's important to approach recovered memories with caution, recognizing the potential for both genuine recollections and memory distortions.