I think that some memories are much stronger than others because of the frequency of them. Everyday things such as getting into a car or waking up from sleep seem so ordinary, so we just disregard them as simple things that will continue to happen as long as we live. If something strange were to happen to one of these ordinary events though, it would suddenly have a lasting impact. For example, if you wake up one day and your bed is covered in blood, that memory will be stronger and more vivid than the day before when you woke up and everything was normal. Events like 9/11 are very rare occurrences, so when they do happen it becomes a very strong memory. Another good example is family deaths. Only one family member can pass away once, so when it happens it becomes a prominent memory.
I think the only way to study how accurate these memories are would be to interview people who have remembered an important event. The problem with this is, though, it would be very difficult to compare the memories to what actually happened. Take 9/11 for example. Many people say they remember exactly where they were and what they were doing at the time they heard of it. However, if that person was alone at the time of 9/11, how would you confirm that they were doing what they said they were? There’s nobody to validate what the person said is true. I think it would be an interesting thing to do, but a lot of problems would come up while trying to verify a person’s memory.
JVershinski's Blog 