Hey, this was a very interesting read. Perhaps I'd like to add that: Freud's definition of "False Memories", eventually also included his own explanation as to why they happen, at least in an individual level.

Freud's idea of "repression", as in, pushing out of consciousness events that are too emotionally charged, suggested that some things rather than just being "forgotten" were instead replaced by what he had called "False Memories".

I hope this extra bit of info helps you and your readers! Thanks for sharing.

Source: Maybe "An Outline of Psychoanalysis" by Freud himself, but Wikipedia works too.