I wonder how many memories are fake

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I wonder how many of my memories are fake. Especially embarrassing or aggravating memories.

I'm sure everyone experiences a cringe worthy memory popping into their head. Usually something you did that you wish had not happened.

The thing is though I spend hours of my life dreaming. The dream world is like an alternate life I'm living. But I barely ever remember what happens in dream world.

But even if I can not recall 90% of what happens in the dream world, is all that footage and experiences stored someplace?

And if so can some of the dream world events leak into my string of real life memories? Causing me to have a painful or embarrassing memory of something that never really happened?

Not necessarily fake. Maybe distorted by time, sometimes for the reasons you stated. Sometimes merely because of time.

The term “fake” implies deliberate intent, to me.

Fake false artificial whatever along those lines.

I think everyone has a dream where they suddenly realize they're out in public only wearing their underwear or naked. I have had many versions of that happening. Hope nobody notices. Try finding a way to fix the situation.

So what if one has a dream of something embarrassing, but instead of remembering it as a dream, it gets remembered as something that really happend?

That could definitely happen.

Have you read Freud, Ezra?

He thought that dreams represented a person’s Unconscious or Subconscious.

He thought that dreams can be interwoven into a person’s view of things.

Maybe you were Freud in a previous life?

Yes, this is definitely a possibility.

Not just dreaming but when people get drunk or are very ill they can hallucinate.

I have said to myself 'did that happen or did I dream that thought?'.

In dreams I have been naked, teeth falling out, switches not working, been back at school at this age, and these are all common themes.

I think worse than this is the intrusive thoughts we can get which seem to come from nowhere and can be very disturbing.

Jung had a different take on this.

And there are different ways of working with dreams.

It is always best to let the client lead and decipher what they think is happening - otherwise you can really get a false interpretation.

Yep. Jung has the Collective Unconscious. He believed the archetypes and experiences of past generations were an intrinsic part of any person.

Dreams are subjective. Any therapist who believes in the absolute truth of their own interpretation better find a new profession.

Ezra should definitely go to college.

Freud, Jung, and Adler formed the Triumvirate of Psychoanalysis circa 1908 or so.

They would have made a great team—had their egos not gotten in the way.

I wish my hugs had the power of Dragon Hugs

Sometimes dreams are useful to reveal emotions that one unconciously censores for any reason.
Or important emotions in general.
I believe the true meaning of a dream is what the dreamer feels about it.

Whenever some cringe worthy memory suddenly comes into my head I often dismiss it as something I dreamt.

Sometimes I'll question the memory.

Can I remember what happened before or after that moment?

How unusual is this instance compared to everyday life?

Can I name another time anything like that ever happened?

Can I prove it ever happened?

What if we are all plagued by bad memories of things that never actually happened, but are really just fragments of a forgotten dreams?

I think this is perhaps how Jung came up with his theory of a collective unconscious.

And don't forget when you read about any psychology it is all just theory and theory changes.

I agree with you Magz, the dream belongs to the dreamer and it is their story.

Whatever theorists come up with, very little can be proven or linked at best.

I know my brain processes what has happened during the day and adds some covert message or very odd images and feelings.

I do like a really pleasant dream - it is as if my brain knows that I needed it.

I dislike one kind of pleasant dream - that makes an awful contrast to the reality when I wake up.
I remember several such dreams... like my first November at high school, first year of commuting, going out before sunrise, coming home after sunset every day... I dreamed of blue spring sky full of light with just a touch of little white clouds... and woke up to cold darkness of another day.
Pleasant dreams are too often about things I miss

Yeah, I dreamed that I was wealthy and had a big stash of gold under my bed.

Imagine my disappointment when I woke up and thought someone had stolen my gold!

I was about 9 years old when this happened and we were poor.

Back to reality.