what is this?

metrovelvet

Ok I know I have been coming in here with a lot of questions, but I have another one! I hope this is simple.

A person I know came to my house with some infant nasal spray and said it was great for clearing up blocked sinuses and left it on the table for me and that was that.

A week later same person comes over, sees it on the table and says 'oh no no no, you shouldnt use those things, they ....." And I reminded this person they were the ones who bought it and brought it over for me. And they completely denied it, saying, no they would never recommend something like that.

Is that a total memory blip or serious dissociation on one of the occassions and which one reflects the real person?

looksee

Why would you suggest it was their memory blip rather than your's? Maybe you were not paying attention and they took it out of their pocket and said something along the lines of 'its a nasal spray for sinuses' then got distracted by conversation and left it on the table. You assumed they had left it for you, but they had had it in their pocket for some other reason and just forgot it.

Presumably you know the person involved is a bit scattered and you are not, so your scenario is more likely, but I don't think any one could make an analysis based on that much information.

I had an almost identical discussion - well identical in intent - with a Consultant recently, he said in reply to my question, no that would not help in this case, then two weeks later came up with the same suggestion himself.

I think I am the one that is batty, but maybe its everyone else

metrovelvet

looksee wrote: »

Why would you suggest it was their memory blip rather than your's? Maybe you were not paying attention and they took it out of their pocket and said something along the lines of 'its a nasal spray for sinuses' then got distracted by conversation and left it on the table. You assumed they had left it for you, but they had had it in their pocket for some other reason and just forgot it.

Presumably you know the person involved is a bit scattered and you are not, so your scenario is more likely, but I don't think any one could make an analysis based on that much information.

I had an almost identical discussion - well identical in intent - with a Consultant recently, he said in reply to my question, no that would not help in this case, then two weeks later came up with the same suggestion himself.

I think I am the one that is batty, but maybe its everyone else

I have a toddler. This person does not. They specifically brought it to give to me because my son had a cold and made a point of telling me how good it was.

looksee

Ah right, I thought it was for you personally.

Still, in general terms in respect of this discussion, it is sometimes hard to know who is confused. That does sound a bit weird though.

Torakx

Probably not much help,but i read an article on the brain and the self recently.
The medial prefrontal cortex supposedly handles memories related to ourselves and organises them around the brain.When we associate things with ourselves we remember them better.
The hippocampus processes the rest lke memories not associated with ourselves.Maybe basic facts.
I see this happen alot but no the such a degree as that unless it was over a month or something.
I often mention things to people and it goes in one ear and out the other because they maybe dont apply it to themselves or look from a subjective point of view(medial prefrontal cortex im guessing) with that idea.
A few weeks later i will hear the exact same idea back with the person having no recollection of me saying it.
It might not be that either though.
Maybe it is something to do with the irrational mind fooling itself or the ego.
I looked ionto confabulation a good while back but dont remember medically or scientifically how exactly thatworks.But maybe that will yeild some more answers...or questions

JuliusCaesar

Memory is not a record of events.
Memory is malleable.

Latchy

I have a relative who will come and say '' oh I like your new wallpaper '' only to be told that the wallpaper has being up nearly year now and he has being to vist dozens of times since .:D

That may be short term memory loss and might be quite common.

metrovelvet

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Memory is not a record of events.
Memory is malleable.

Yes but to not even identify with the old memory, to do something and then later claim that it was completely out of your character?

newmug

I saw an article about the KIBRA gene. Seemingly its heavily involved in the memory process, and people who have a poor version of the gene, need to tax their brains more to remember stuff, than people with a fully functioning version. Thats my interpretation of it anyway, open to correction.

JuliusCaesar

metrovelvet wrote: »

Yes but to not even identify with the old memory, to do something and then later claim that it was completely out of your character?

A consistency bias? (Fourth on the list)

metrovelvet

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

A consistency bias? (Fourth on the list)

Thank you for showing me that list! Very interesting.

Torakx

Osborn effect: that being intoxicated with a mind-altering substance makes it harder to retrieve motor patterns from the Basal Ganglion. (e.g., Shushaka, 1958)

Lol is this named after ozzy osbourne? :P