Psychologists have found that emotionally vivid 'flashbulb memories,' such as memories of the September 11, 2001 attacks, are often surprisingly inaccurate despite feeling clear and detailed.
Notes on verification
Well-corroborated by peer-reviewed research (Talarico & Rubin 2007, Hirst & Phelps longitudinal studies) and multiple science journalism sources (Scientific American, LiveScience, MedicalXpress), consistent with decades of flashbulb memory literature. [cascade flags: aggregator_dropped_primary_exists | tier=silver indep_score=0.917 clusters=3 claim_tier=notable] [kind-backfill 2026-09-15: kind=attributed eligibility=high]
Sources
- The Ten Most Disturbing Scientific Discoveries (seed:science_and_space)
- https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/911-memory-accuracy/ (corroboration)
- https://scholars.duke.edu/publication/706668 (corroboration)
- https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-flashbulb-memories-shift-certainty.html (corroboration)