r/Retconned • u/AstarteIw • 11h ago
A whole event wiped from memory? Or false event inserted?
This happened around 2020 but the event was even older. I was at a friends-old classmates house, we were talking about the past.
We were very close friends in high school.We are both same age, born 7 days apart and occasionally talk. We are now 37. As we were talking and remembering past funny times, he told me about an event I have no memory of.
Apparently, back in 2007, the summer after high school, I saw a flyer on a column inviting people to a "meditation talk" was going to take place. Now these are not rare, you may find these small posters all over, they are mostly about book reading events, small theatre shows or even philosophical circles.
He insists I picked this one off and told him , "Let's go there". I have no memory of this. It doesn't even sound like sth I'd do.I was studying about the occult since I was 15 and was very cautious of cults cause an older friend of mine had an awful experience with one.
I would never jump in a random occult session with strangers,even locals, unless I at least knew their background.
But that's where it gets weird. My friend remembers distinctly that, not only we went there, but all the details. A certain old beautiful building (still exists in my neighborhood but a family lives there), us both mingling among the people at first, two or three men in their 60s, 3-4 middle-aged women, and us, the only two 17-year-olds there. He remembers that we all sat in chairs in a circle, and they started a quite boring talk about meditation, ancient cultures, Christianity etc..but very mundane /superficial stuff you can read the very first week of your research.
He told me that I was getting kinda frustrated, I strongly disagreed with some of them, took the "stand" and expressed my opinions in front of everyone in a very assertive manner. They even showed me respect for this. I spoke quite a while, almost giving a "lecture" about meditation practices and other cultures. Even my friend was astounded by how much I knew, although he doesn't remember any details of what I said.
The thing is, I don't remember any of it.
I did not even have enough experience on the matter for a lengthy speech. I was not even an adult.
Challenging older people and "crushing" their gathering, or taking lead and speaking in front of them at the age of 17 would be extraordinary and I'd remember it for sure. I was never this extroverted person- plus, never to this day, have I attended any "seances" or meditation circles. You'd think I'd remember my very first time if it happened.
My friend told me that after I spoke, I told him "let's leave, I can't stand these people" or sth like that, and we left. I considered them "beginners and poor in understanding". I told him that we supposedly know more about meditation than the "old" people there. Again, this does not sound like me, I was very respectful especially to people with spiritual interests, even if I disagreed.
I tried to recall even one detail of this event, but zero. I finally was like " My friend, you must have seen it in a dream, no way I did all that and have no memory of it. This whole series of actions would have been completely out of character for me".
But he insisted and said it is very strange for me to have forgotten it, since he was 100% sure it happened.Even the clothes we wore that day.
We debated a lot on this and I called another friend who was there with us when I picked the flyer but did not come to the meeting. At first, he couldn't remember either (it was years ago after all) but shortly after he confirmed that I did pick the flyer and attended the meeting, I also told him my experience afterwards. He remembered less details than the other friend since he wasn't there, but he was sure I told him back in the day.
So, someone amongst us is misremembering, or this event was wiped completely of MY brain. I have very vivid memories of most events in my life, yet this one eludes me.
A year ago, I saw the owner outside, leaving this certain house.
I approached him and asked him if back in the day around 2007 this place was something else, like a book club or center for occassional talks. He assured me (I can't possibly tell if he was lying) that it has always been his familys' residential home and no such events ever took place there. It was just renovated a few years ago, but I remember that. I've lived in that neighborhood all my life, and I've never encountered groups of people/flyers or any similar stuff.
Since I've known about ME, I re-evaluate things every few months or years. I asked both my friends the same questions about this, a few weeks back. They remember the same story, so, regarding this event, our memories are unchanged at least since 2020.
Random memory suppression - but in a non-traumatic event? Does it make sense? Could there be some ME involved with me or my friends? Could both my friends remember an event that never actually took place? A memory update?