False memory syndrome (
FMS) describes a condition in which a person's identity and relationships are affected by memories that are factually incorrect but that they strongly believe.
Peter J. Freyd originated the term, which the
False Memory Syndrome Foundation (FMSF) subsequently popularized. The term is not recognized as a
mental disorder in any of the medical manuals, such as the
ICD-10 or the
DSM-5; however, the principle that memories can be altered by outside influences is overwhelmingly accepted by scientists.