Paramnesias

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A condition involving false memories or beliefs that one has previously experienced or encountered something when they have not
2. The phenomenon where an individual misremembers or confuses details, often leading to a distorted perception of past events
3. A psychological occurrence characterized by recalling events inaccurately or believing in fabricated memories without realizing their inaccuracy

Etymology: "Paramnesias" is the plural of "paramnesia," a noun built from two Greek-derived parts. The prefix "para-" comes from the Greek "para," meaning "beside," "beyond," or "wrongly," and "amnesia" comes from the Greek "amnesia," meaning "forgetfulness," from "a-" (not) and "mnēmē" (memory). Put together, the word points to a memory that goes astray: a recollection that is wrong, distorted, or invented. The plural simply counts several such episodes or kinds of false recall, so it follows the regular English pattern of adding "-s" to a noun ending in "-a," as in "amnesias" or "dramas" in the same way.

Synonyms: memory distortions, false memories, confabulations