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11->'''Picard:''' Guinan, what are you doing here? ...I thought you were on board the ''Enterprise''.\
12'''Guinan:''' I am. I'm also here... Think of me as an echo of the person you know. A part of herself she left behind.
13-->-- ''Film/StarTrekGenerations''
14
15The flesh is weak compared to the mind, heart and soul, especially when in the [[HotBlooded throes of passionate emotion]]. Some places are especially malleable to psychic phenomena. Combine the two and you have the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Living Memory]], an echo of a person who either is still alive or has [[KilledOffForReal definitively]] gone on to a final reward (or punishment).
16
17The Living Memory is a very strange "being" and similar to [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghosts]] in a lot of ways. Physically they're usually {{intangib|ility}}le (though YourMindMakesItReal can make them dangerous regardless), but some are in physical (though probably non-human) bodies. They may be fully sapient and can be reasoned with, a chunk of memories with a bit of personality, or just vinyl records on an endless loop. What they all have in common is that they are not the real deal, the original, just an eerie simulacrum... and [[TearJerker some]] even [[WhatHaveIBecome realize it]].
18
19When characters encounter a living memory, it's usually a highly emotional encounter. The Living Memory may distress the character emotionally, try to attack them... or offer encouragement and absolution for past sins. Like we said, Living Memories are strange.
20
21This trope has a few variants.
22* The character has a [[SoulFragment piece of their soul]] split off and haunt a person or location. This is especially common if the character "removed their dark side", in which case their [[TheHeartless Heartless]] will torment loved ones.
23* The Living Memory is inside another character's head due to side effects from a MentalFusion. A good chunk of the SplitPersonality tropes may apply, for good and ill.
24* There's no soul or anything of the like involved, the place itself is a GeniusLoci and is using the psychic/spiritual equivalent of a plaster mold of the Living Memory's original as a marionette, constantly replaying past events.
25* Due to TimeTravel related shenanigans, a long dead character can still make the SpecialGuest Star spot without actually coming back to life.
26* The VirtualGhost is an AI construct with the personality and memories of the character, or a (near) exact copy via BrainUploading. '''NOTE:''' If the original it's based on is dead, then it's a VirtualGhost and the example should go there.
27
28Compare GhostMemory, where someone's memories are implanted or transferred into someone else's mind. See also the PensieveFlashback, where characters enter a memory as observers.
29----
30!!Examples:
31
32[[foldercontrol]]
33
34[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
35* Seems to appear as well in ''Anime/BoogiepopPhantom'', though given the amount of MindScrew involved, it's difficult to assert with certainty.
36* In ''Manga/DGrayMan'', the Noah clan survives by passing their "memories" to a new host every time they are killed. While only Wisely and the Millennium Earl fully recall the past 7,000 years, the memories do tend to cause emotional reactions to things that range from feeling recognition of the Noah's original name to crying when a Noah dies to urges to kill Exorcists while in their presence, not to mention causing them to... [[TomatoInTheMirror see things in mirrors]]. This is made for a stronger trope when [[spoiler:Allen Walker meets the deceased Nea, the 14th Noah, in his head]].
37* A particularly [[TearJerker tear-jerking]] (although not without its heartwarming moments) story in ''Manga/FragmentsOfHorror'' has this as its central theme. In "Gentle Goodbye", the protagonist marries into a wealthy family who perform a ritual on their recently deceased to create an 'after-image', to give them plenty of time to say their farewells and accept their death. [[spoiler:What she doesn't know is that she died on her wedding day, [[TomatoInTheMirror and she is really one such after-image]].]]
38* ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'': One of the manga-only (and later, DS-only) ''Yoigoshi-hen'' takes place twenty years after the [[spoiler:Great Hinamizawa Gas Disaster]]. Throughout the arc, various echoes of the main characters appear, showing varying levels of self-awareness, from Keiichi and Rena, who really looked to be nothing more than an echo of the memory of them racing to school, to [[spoiler:Mion herself]], who apparently was not only self-aware, but actually [[spoiler: possessed Shion]]. She may have actually been closer to your traditional ghost.
39* Kikyo in ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}''; she CameBackWrong from the attempted resurrection since Kagome wouldn't give up her whole soul, so while the Kikyo golem does have (most? all?) of her memories, she only has a fraction of her original soul, the part that carried all the dark emotions about Inuyasha's "betrayal". She's not psycho, but she's not really the original either.
40* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'': A pilot who [[spoiler:uses a Psychoframe leaves an imprint of themselves in the system]], meaning recycled frames can experience this. Loni's [[spoiler:rampage through Torrington]] was caused by the [[spoiler:imprint of the Shamblo's previous Federation-hating pilot]].
41* ''Anime/{{Mononoke}}'': The eponymous mononoke are spirits which fused with strong human feelings, and in at least one case, with the memory one person had of another one.
42* Manga/{{Naruto}} meets [[spoiler:his dead parents]] this way, as they'd placed part of their own chakra into the Kyuubi's seal, but they only had enough chakra to last a few minutes. He later meets [[spoiler:the Sage of Six Paths]], who had used a more complete version of this to watch over the followers of his discipline.
43* ''Manga/Reborn2004'' has an interesting version. The 'Will' of the previous Vongola Bosses lives on in the ring. Also, the fact that [[spoiler:Yuni was able to summon the Will of Primo from the Vongola Rings (and subsequently the First-Generation Guardians) suggests that the Vongola Bosses probably weren't the only ones 'living on' through the Vongola Rings]].
44-->'''Vongola Primo:''' Our hour was engraved on the Ring.
45%%(ZCE)* The magical hologram of Queen Serenity on the moon in ''Franchise/SailorMoon''.
46* In ''Manga/SoulEater'', Stein gets a shadow of Medusa in his head, who taunts him about him getting mad.
47* ''Manga/YuGiOh'': Bakura places a piece of his soul inside the Millennium Puzzle, allowing him to follow the rest of the cast in a rare villainous example played straight. This splits off into EpilepticTrees when you learn that [[spoiler:Yami-Bakura is a bizarre fusion of the present Bakura, the original Thief King Bakura, and Zorc, living embodiment of all darkness, complete with [[WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries his dragon willy]]]].
48[[/folder]]
49
50[[folder:Audio Dramas]]
51* The ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho Companion Chronicles'' play ''Tales from the Vault'' is a ScrapbookStory built from different recordings held by U.N.I.T., including a living memory of Zoe Heriot stored in an alien memory crystal.
52[[/folder]]
53
54[[folder:Card Games]]
55* The colored spirits on every Artifact monsters' art in the ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh TCG'' are said to be memories of the greatest warriors that once wielded them.
56[[/folder]]
57
58[[folder:ComicBooks]]
59* In ''Comicbook/{{Empowered}}'', Mind████ psychically left one to Sistah Spooky [[spoiler:to explain that she wasn't angry about their breakup. It was supposed to activate while she was still alive, though]].
60* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Barry Allen's fondness for time travel made it possible for him to appear several times between his death and resurrection.
61* ''ComicBook/XMen'':
62** For a while, Rogue, who had wiped out all of ComicBook/MsMarvel's memories, had her talking to her in her head, and sometimes trying to take control.
63** Xavier had a copy of Magneto in his head after mind-wiping him. It later became ComicBook/{{Onslaught}}.
64[[/folder]]
65
66[[folder:Fan Works]]
67* {{Invoked|Trope}} in ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/5441465/chapters/12663329 I'll Be Home for Christmas]]''. Jim learns about Guinan's echo (see ''Film/StarTrekGenerations'' below) and recalls hearing from Spock Prime that he [[NeverFoundTheBody never found Kirk Prime's body]], and theorises that echoes can leave the Nexus for a short time before disappearing based on his own research. He combines the three and realises that the Kirk Picard met might have been just another echo, meaning that Jim and Spock may have already succeeded with Jim's plan to retrieve his counterpart, which they can now implement without worrying about changing the original timeline. [[FridgeBrilliance Essentially]], the Living Memory would form the basis for a StableTimeLoop (or TrickedOutTime, depending on whether or not this is the first time the loop has run) - Picard enters the Nexus in the twenty-fourth century, learns about Kirk Prime's fate, joins forces with him, defeats Soran, watches Kirk Prime die, and informs Spock Prime of his passing, [[CrossThrough which provides a vector for the information to reach Jim]], who pulls Kirk Prime out of the Nexus in the alternate twenty-third century [[TimeTravelEscape before he meets Picard and dies]] and leaves behind an echo to assist Picard, thus restarting the cycle.
68* ''Fanfic/PeculiarParasiticPhenomenon'': The [[LotusEaterMachine D13 Trouble No More]] stand can be used to create Living Memories of other people based on memories of that person within the stand user or the people around him. It's noted that if various people have conflicting memories that depict a person in wildly different perspectives (such as [[spoiler:Kakyoin being remembered by Jotaro as a dear friend, but as a dangerous and cocky enemy by Manishu, the D13 user]]), can make for a more lifelike copy. It's shown those Living Memories are completely independent of the stand user creating them and are pretty lifelike in those cases, making comments about current going-ons due to looking into people's memories.
69* ''Fanfic/StoryShuffle2DoubleMasters'': [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/469652/10/story-shuffle-2-double-masters/whos-afraid "Who's Afraid?"]] deals with what's basically ghost wolves, but are more Living Memory, as implied in the story, "my entitlement and anger and sheer ''ego'' were enough to actually form a spirit...", and author notes, "Insidious remnants of what once was seemed right up Sunset's alley. Which was apparently the one my shipping side hid in."
70* ''Webcomic/TotalTrauma'': A SplitPersonality variant. The backstory given for Mike's alter Chester is that he's an introject of Mike's grandfather, who raised Mike in early childhood before passing away and leaving Mike as a FosterKid. Nowadays, however, Vito says Chester and Mike's relationship is "more complicated" than just representing their grandfather.
71[[/folder]]
72
73[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
74* ''Film/AnAmericanHaunting'': Betsy being raped by John causes an embodiment of her innocence to manifest.
75* Cody, from ''Film/GhostFromTheMachine'' at least thinks the ghosts conjured by his machine are this, chewing out his neighbor for LovingAShadow after stealing it so he can coexist with his dead wife.
76* Mal in ''Film/{{Inception}}'' is literally Cobb's memory of his dead wife which has taken on a life of its own (her own?) in his dreams and any other dreams he enters. Said life generally involves sabotaging whatever Cobb's trying to do, in an attempt to make him [[spoiler:commit suicide like she did, thinking that she was still dreaming and unable to wake up. The reason this particular memory is so powerful is the guilt Cobb feels for accidentally driving his wife to suicide]].
77* The premise of ''Film/TheStoneTape'' is that suitably traumatic events will be recorded and repeated by the environment witnessing it.
78* In ''Film/StarTrekGenerations'', an echo of Guinan is present in the Nexus, and helps Picard find Kirk so they can stop Soran from destroying an inhabited planet so he can get back to the Nexus.
79[[/folder]]
80
81[[folder:Literature]]
82[[AC:Examples by author:]]
83* In the works of Creator/TimPowers, particularly the novel ''Literature/ExpirationDate'' and the ''Literature/AlternateRoutes'' series, all ghosts are psychic echoes created during traumatic events. If the person survives, the ghost merges back into their psyche, but if they die, the ghost is left hanging around. In ''Literature/ForcedPerspectives'' (the first sequel to ''Alternate Routes''), the metaphysical paradox of a ghost not really being the person they believe themself to be is fundamental to how the threat is defeated.
84[[AC:Examples by work:]]
85* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
86** Ghosts are defined as echoes of a person's dying moments -- they don't know they're dead because they can't realize they're dead. Harry himself gets an eyeful of this in ''Literature/BloodRites'' when [[spoiler:a meeting with his unknown half-brother results in a pre-recorded vision of his dead mother]].
87** The Denarian demons work similarly to this, being [[SealedEvilInACan trapped inside their coins]] but able to grant their shape and powers to their bearer even if they don't have the actual coin. [[spoiler:More specifically, Lasciel imprints a copy of herself into Dresden's brain when he inadvertently touches her coin. Harry promptly buries her coin inside an insulating magic circle and pours concrete over it, doing his best to protect himself from its corrupting influence. She freely admits that she's not actually Lasciel, just a copy that lives in his brain, but she's still able to grant Harry several useful abilities as much as he permits her to. The copy spends years tempting him to let her out of her prison before she finally dies absorbing a psychic attack.]]
88* ''Literature/ForestKingdom'': In book 3 (''Down Among the Dead Men''), the Beast, due to being asleep under the fortress for ages, is dreaming of what things used to be like. Its dreams allow it to conjure living duplicates of other monsters that lived in its time, which are sent to attack the main characters.
89* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
90** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', the person behind the mysterious attacks at Hogwarts turns out to be a living memory of [[BigBad Lord Voldemort]] from when ''he'' was at school. At first, he could only communicate via the diary he was preserved in, but once he got [[spoiler:Ginny Weasley]] to trust him with enough secrets, [[EmotionEater he grew steadily more powerful]]. The entity referred to itself as an animated memory. Four books later, it turned out that the diary was one of multiple [[SoulJar Horcruxes]] Voldemort created, although this was by far the most dangerous.
91** The many ghosts that dwell in Hogwarts may be this as well: some characters state they are souls that refused to pass on, but others (such as the notoriously cynical Professor Snape) describe them as magical "imprints" of the once-living person.
92** It's never explored in much detail, but the animated portraits of deceased persons seem to work this way. They have the personality of the deceased (or at least an approximation thereof), and at least ''some'' of their memories, but it's unclear whether they have free will or the ability to truly act of their own accord. (According to AllThereInTheManual, they are only as accurate to their originals as the magician-artist's understanding of the model was.)
93* In ''Literature/{{Jago}}'', Anthony Jago's psychic powers [[PowerIncontinence leak]] and cause people's fears and obsessions to come to life. In some cases, this involves memories of the dead being animated, as with the woman whose abuser comes back from the grave, still bearing the wounds she inflicted when she killed him in self-defense. The paranormal researcher Susan also says that she's encountered a few ghosts in her time, and they've all been just external projections of memories of the deceased, either memories held by some still-living person or somehow imprinted on the environment.
94* ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'':
95** Not a character, but still effectively this trope. In ''Literature/HouseOfChains'', while looking for his father Osserc, the mage L'oric is pulled into the living memory of the Raraku desert, where Osserc is hiding. The memory goes so far back into prehistoric times that the notoriously dry Raraku is a lush swamp there.
96** In ''Literature/TheCrippledGod'', Silchas Ruin stumbles into a corner of the chaos between realms in which realms fold one upon another to such a degree that it leaves a stain on time itself. There he finds the reflections of gods whose mortal bodies are walking various realms. These reflections retain their originals' memories and personalities, but have taken on lives of their own, including planning to murder [[BigBad the Crippled God]] to siphon his power.
97* ''Literature/MatthewSwift'': Robert Bakker's former apprentice inhales his dying breath and gains a SpiritAdvisor version of him with it. It's unclear how much it's actually Bakker and how much is a creation of Matthew's mind.
98* ''Literature/{{Neuromancer}}'' hints at these being made by [[spoiler:the eponymous AI from various characters, including the lead. They're supposedly "perfect", as in the whole deal]].
99* Ghosts in ''Literature/{{Pact}}'' are soulless impressions of experiences of great emotion that have been left on the world, who fulfill this trope by forcing the memory of the event that created them onto others or simply playing through it over and over. You don't necessarily have to have died to generate them -- at one point, Blake Thorburn, the protagonist, encounters several ghosts that ''he'' left in his DarkAndTroubledPast.
100* Some, possibly all, ghosts in ''Literature/RiversOfLondon''. Peter and Abigail have divided ghosts into three categories: "Loopers" just repeat the events that led to their death forever, "Simulacra" show a bit more ability to react to things, but it's superficial (they're compared to video game characters), and "Entities" are seemingly self-aware and capable of having a conversation, although Peter doesn't think they'd pass the TuringTest.
101* In ''Literature/TheSight'', the Searchers in the Red Meadow are this -- they are not actually dead wolves but manifestations of the memories of the living. This allows [[spoiler:Fell to be among them]], despite [[spoiler:not being actually dead]].
102* ''Literature/{{Solaris}}'' revolves around these, created by an intelligent ocean on an alien planet. Each represents someone that a specific human astronaut felt guilt towards -- a child, a lover, and so on. Killing or otherwise disposing of them results in the creation of another one, which has no memory of the first one's fate.
103* In the ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'', Holocrons store interactive projections of long-dead Force masters, allowing them to share their wisdom. It's [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane ambiguous]] whether they're more of an artificial intelligence, a VirtualGhost, or an actual [[SpiritAdvisor Force projection]].
104* In ''Literature/SuperPowereds'', [[spoiler:when Nick's memories are erased, his new personality is trapped rather than destroyed, and manages to partly reassert itself by sharing memories with Nicholas. Eventually, when his friends show their support, it is revealed that this was done deliberately and that by [[SecretTestOfCharacter having his friends willing to risk death to protect him but trying to convince them not to]], he passed the test to be allowed to return permanently]].
105* ''Literature/ATaleOfTimeCity'' has the Time Ghosts, which daily re-enact emotionally charged moments from the City's history. Due to the timey-wimey involved in the City's construction, this includes the parts of the City's history that haven't actually occurred yet.
106* ''Literature/ThousandSons'': In ''Ahriman: Sorcerer'', Inquisitor Iobel dies while Ahriman [[MindProbe probes her mind]] for the location of an important artefact, but her consciousness continues to exist within his mindscape as a sort of memory ghost with autonomy and self-awareness. ''Ahriman: Unchanged'' reveals that she [[spoiler:is not the real Iobel, but a fragment of Ahriman's own psyche[[note]]specifically, the part of him that wishes he were still loyal to the Imperium and wants him to face judgment for his crimes[[/note]] that has latched onto her memories and identity. It also reveals that she]] is not alone in there, as she encounters several other living memories while exploring Ahriman's subconscious.
107* The Insight version of ''Tobin's Spirit Guide'' shows poltergeists that happen ' cores manifest from a powerful emotion like love, sadness and anger and then evolve into a blind, violent rage, which causes them to violently torment the living and their descendants. It is shown that they are either Class 2, 3 or 5 noncorporeal telekinetic entities.
108* ''Literature/TheWaySeries'': In ''Eon'', Hexamon citizens can create "partials", which are (usually shallow) copies of a personality that can act independently, for use in dangerous situations or if a person is simply not available for some reason, and which can be re-integrated into the original person's memory once their task is complete. Partials are usually aware of their nature, but aren't bothered by it (presumably because the personality they come from isn't). It's considered mildly impolite to send one when you were expected to turn up in person. Also, once a citizen has used both of their state-allocated physical incarnations, they're stored as a VirtualGhost in the City Memory, where they can still communicate with other people by digital means (and be reincarnated again if there's ever a need).
109[[/folder]]
110
111[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
112* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': The poltergeist-like, noncorporeal embodiments/manifestations of the orphans' intense adolescent emotion and sexual energy as a result of Genevieve Holt's abuse in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E18WhereTheWildThingsAre Where the Wild Things Are]]".
113%%(ZCE)* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has had a few of these. In the new series, Steven Moffat absolutely loves this trope, especially with CreepyChild characters.
114* In ''Series/DoubutsuSentaiZyuohger'', Bunglay has the ability to read people's memories and create copies of living things from them. This power is often used to resurrect previously-defeated [[MonsterOfTheWeek Dethgaliens]], but it's occasionally been used to copy humans as well. The copies are not necessarily evil, but even if they believe themselves to be the real thing, they tend to play into the villain's plans anyway.
115* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'': "Harvey", the mental clone of Scorpius inside Crichton's head (and Crichton's clone in Scorpius's head).
116* In ''Series/{{Fringe}}'', the "mind meld" Olivia and John Scott go through leaves traces of his memories and personality in her mind, which occasionally surface and offer her useful information. A manifestation of John is eventually is able to guide her through enough of them to demonstrate that he wasn't a traitor and that their relationship was real, before her mind purges the last pieces of him from her consciousness.
117* The ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' episode "[[Recap/HowIMetYourMotherS1E18NothingGoodEverHappensAfter2AM Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M.]]" has Ted see and talk with his own subconscious in the form of his long-distance girlfriend.
118* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
119** Vulcans can store their 'katra', which is a cross between mind, soul, and mystical technobabble, and one can communicate with them, although they do slowly fade.
120** In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E22SkinOfEvil Skin of Evil]]", Armus is the cast off evil of a race that has [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Ascended to a Higher Plane of Existence]]. As such, he is basically MadeOfEvil and stuck haunting his planet.
121** Lt. Barclay, also from ''TNG'', has a bizarre hobby of creating holodeck parodies of his coworkers. On ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', the ship's doctor does this as well.
122* After Sam's soul is returned in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', he continues to see (and be tormented by) Lucifer, who had used him as a vessel when they were trapped in the Cage. It's explicitly a symptom of the horrific metaphysical damage to Sam's soul, a result of the NothingIsScarier torture that the real Lucifer did to Sam while they were trapped together.
123* An episode of ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'' has Sarah, hallucinating from the trauma of a gunshot wound, imagine that Kyle Reese is with her, giving her advice and helping her to stay rational.
124* ''Series/WandaVision'': This is ultimately what Vision turns out to be. [[spoiler:Wanda explicitly says that he's the fragment of the Mindstone in her mixed with her grief, hope and mostly her love.]]
125[[/folder]]
126
127[[folder:Manhwa]]
128* ''Manhwa/{{Yureka}}'': Some [[NonPlayerCharacter NPCs]] are truly the [[spoiler:projected consciousness of coma patients onto the Net. Piri, for example.]]
129[[/folder]]
130
131[[folder:Music]]
132* Creekflow is {{implied|Trope}} to be such over the course of the album ''Music/CarouselAnExaminationOfTheShadowCreekflow'', especially in its introduction in "How to Talk to Your Shadow?":
133--> '''Announcer:''' Your memories serve more than fond keepsakes!
134[[/folder]]
135
136[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
137* Phantoms in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' before 3rd Edition are the soulless shells of creatures who died hideous or surprising deaths. They almost always recreate images of their death or what they were thinking most about when they died, like a 3-dimensional movie, at the same place, over and over. Variant phantoms may be sounds or smells. Technically "monsters", but without a rhyme or reason to their existence beyond accidentally scaring or warning a passer-by, and nearly indestructible (dispelled only via remove curse spell).
138* Shades in ''TabletopGame/{{Ironclaw}}'', they're insubstantial beings of living thought and emotion obsessed with something. [[PsychicPowers Green and Purple mages]] are the only people who can effectively communicate with them. But there are also ghosts and phantoms which actually are spirits of the restless dead.
139[[/folder]]
140
141[[folder:Video Games]]
142* ''VideoGame/AnotherCode'': The ''[[VideoGameRemake Recollection]]'' [[AdaptationDeviation version]] of ''Journey into Lost Memories'' has [[spoiler:Ryan and Sayoko. Ryan is a construct created by the memory backups of the actual Ryan, who died fifteen years prior after being used as the first human trial for ANOTHER, a memory manipulation device. The memory backup developed its own consciousness within the liquid memory storage it was held in, continuing to age into adulthood and using ANOTHER to alter peoples' perceptions of reality. Prior to that reveal, it turns out Sayoko's own memory backup existed consciously with [[TragicKeepsake the necklace]] Ashley wears.]]
143* ''Franchise/DotHack'':
144** In the first four ''VideoGame/DotHackR1Games'', scenes from the anime series ''Anime/DotHackSign'' can be witnessed by visiting the frequent hangout, Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground, at certain points in the storyline. At the end of the game, [[spoiler:AI Subaru, AI Tsukasa, and AI Sora]] will join the party. They are noticeably out of place chronologically in their behavior, and players familiar with other aspects of the .Hack Universe will know there's no possible way it's the real versions, who are still alive but simply not playing The World.
145** It can also be seen in the ''VideoGame/DotHackGU'' series with Azure Kite, Balmung, and Orca, who are recreated versions of heroes from the first series integrated into the system to find bugs and glitches. They lack personality of the originals, however.
146* In ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaPortraitOfRuin'', Jonathan fights the Whip's Memory which takes the form of [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood Richter Belmont]]]] to unlock the Vampire Killer's true power.
147* Thanks to all the TimeTravel and Dimensional contorting, by the end of ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'', Serge and co. run into three ghostly doubles of the main trio from ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger''... though for some reason, they all appear to be significantly younger than they were in ''Trigger'', which has led some to speculate that they may not actually be related to the cast of ''Trigger'' at all beyond their visages.
148* In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'', [[spoiler:the main characters are all Living Memories, dream spirits of their true forms that were defeated by the Dread Fiend Murdaw. Once they realise this, they have to find their true selves, which in one case was turned to stone and, in the case of the Hero, is running around just as amnesiac as his dream-self was at the start]]. In addition, [[spoiler:nearly everyone]] seem to have [[spoiler:dream-world versions of themselves, which can manifest as ideal versions, painful fears, or even dreams of the past, returning to haunt them]].
149* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
150** In ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'', Lucrecia's memories are stored as data inside Shelke.
151** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', the [[CallARabbitASmeerp pyreflies]] create this sort of effect on [[TheLifestream the Farplane]]. It's not entirely clear whether these are the actual ghosts or what exactly. They don't talk and just kind of stand there. Only the dead (but not the Unsent) appear on the Farplane (Tidus is able to see his mom but not his dad when they first visit in the game).
152* In ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'', the Fractals of the Mists are mini-dungeons of the GeniusLoci variety, featuring events from the world's past. Characters of particular note are Dessa, who is in charge of the Fractals Project, and [[spoiler:Arkk, her son, who's trying to destroy all the fractals to free themselves from the loop they're stuck in. They eventually realize they aren't the originals and reconcile after coming to terms with the nature of their existence, before the fractal loops again and returns them to their antagonistic relationship]].
153* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
154** Most smart [=AI=]s are [[BrainUploading created from the brains]] of dead people (as the process usually destroys the brain), but Cortana is the product of a cloned mind rather than a dead one. She and her creator, Dr. Halsey, often share many of the same attributes and opinions, especially regarding Master Chief John-117.
155** Forerunner AI [[spoiler:343 Guilty Spark]] was copied off the mind of [[spoiler:a prehistoric human named Chakas, plus some other ones]].
156** ''VideoGame/Halo4'': [[spoiler:The Librarian]] may have been dead for 100,000 years, but she left helpful imprints of herself on Requiem.
157* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
158** Pretty much the entire supporting cast of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories'' are literal living memories of Sora's who are playing out (and being deleted) via Naminé's powers. Of special interest is [[spoiler:the Riku Replica]], a [[ArtificialHuman creation of Vexen's]] who is identical to [[spoiler:Riku]] (albeit with more access to dark powers) and [[spoiler:survives the end of the story in a (manga exclusive) gag ending]].
159** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'', [[spoiler:Xion is a clone of Sora made ''entirely'' out of memories. As such, her tragic death causes everyone to forget that she ever existed in the first place]].
160** ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'':
161*** The characters native to the Worlds of Sleep are echoes of people who once lived in the Worlds of Sleep, even if they left those worlds before they fell into darkness. This leads to some confusion when Sora meets a Donald, Mickey, and Goofy who don't remember him. [[spoiler:The BigBad uses this to his advantage, confusing Sora and Riku about his true plan which involves [[AssimilationPlot making real copies of himself]].]]
162*** Also of note, [[spoiler:everyone from ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' except for Joshua is this. Joshua explains that after their world fell to the Heartless, he journeyed to Traverse Town and put his friends back together with "piece of their dreams"]]. This revelation helps Riku to figure out the Big Bad's plan before it's too late.
163* Memory of Alessa, a boss in ''VideoGame/SilentHill3''. She tries to kill Heather, who is basically her reincarnation, in order to help her avoid the pain and horror of birthing an EldritchAbomination.
164%%(ZCE)** Also, [[spoiler: Harry Mason]] in ''VideoGame/SilentHillShatteredMemories'' is (arguably) one of these.
165* In ''VideoGame/SolatoroboRedTheHunter'', [[spoiler:Nero and Blanck]] end up as this in a DLC quest. Though they died in the main story, [[spoiler:they appear after the final boss battle as mirages to help Red escape and]] they are eventually revealed to still be "alive" in Red's mind. [[spoiler:Merveille even suggests that she will be able to create bodies for them to live in.]]
166* ''VideoGame/ASpaceForTheUnbound'' reveals that [[spoiler:Atma died at the river and only existed because he is part of Raya's memory]].
167* ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' has, at one point, [[spoiler:"Zero" Beatrice]] speaking to [[spoiler:her "former self", who has its soul and memories intact, meaning her personality is the same as it had been before her "death"]].
168* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
169** In ''Wrath of the Lich King'', Argent Confessor Paletress summons a "memory" of an enemy the players previously defeated.[[labelnote:Examples]]This includes Edwin [=VanCleef=], Lady Vashj, Onyxia, [[MemeticBadass Hogger]], Archimonde, and Illidan Stormrage.[[/labelnote]] The spell description for her ability implies these are the player's darkest memories, though they are nowhere near as strong as when previously faced.
170** In ''Legion'', the ruined eredar capital of Mac'aree was abandoned after the majority of their race joined the Legion. Memories of the eredar who lived during that fateful time manifest as spirits that repeat the same events over and over again. Interestingly this includes not only those who died but many characters who are still alive.
171[[/folder]]
172
173[[folder:Webcomics]]
174* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', Brain Ghost Dirk is both this and a {{Tulpa}}, as he's someone else's memory of the real Dirk given form.
175* In ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'', the 'hidden floor' is a virtual reality populated by virtual copies of people who have reached it in the past. As such, it contains younger versions of several regular characters.
176[[/folder]]
177
178[[folder:Web Original]]
179* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'':
180** The ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlueTheRecollection'' trilogy focuses on the Alpha AI, a smart AI created from the brain of the Director of Project Freelancer, in the same vein as those featured in ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' (see the Video Games folder above). Because of the various torturous experiments performed on it, the Alpha was forced to separate its worst memories from itself, creating yet another AI that contains all of the Director's ''and'' the Alpha's most anguished memories. Meanwhile, the Alpha (who caused IdentityAmnesia through its actions) ended up reliving much of the same life events (read: failures, most notably the frustration generated by pursuing a lost love) that defined the Director's life. The final series in the trilogy, ''Revelation'', reveals that [[spoiler:this process is a cycle, wherein the new AI will follow in the Alpha's footsteps and eventually fragment off those memories into yet another AI, which will fragment the memories again into another AI, ad nauseum. The Epsilon AI, the last in the chain thus far, believes it has finally figured out how to break the cycle]]. However, WordOfGod confirms that all on-screen events, with the exception of the Blood Gulch sequences in season 9, are real. The recursive cycle only occurs within the memory storage unit while Epsilon searches for Tex, who is also trapped somewhere inside it. Also, since the cycle of events begins well after Epsilon fragmented from Alpha, further fragmentation is not part of the process.
181** After the events of up to [[WebAnimation/RedVsBlueTheProjectFreelancerSaga Season 10]], Epsilon developed a habit of simulating the other Alpha fragments from his own memories of them, long after the original fragments are destroyed. He splits up different tasks between them during battle. Though they act more or less the same as their original counterparts, they are aware of just being Epsilon's memories, as the second Delta is quick to remind Epsilon of. [[spoiler:In the [[WebAnimation/RedVsBlueTheChorusTrilogy Season 13]] finale, Epsilon concludes that he doesn't have the processing power to help his friends out of a tight spot, and decides that his main "Church" self is just holding him back too much. [[DeathOfPersonality He intends to erase this main self]] and [[HeroicSacrifice give his memory buddies enough strength to save the day for him]].]]
182* In ''WebOriginal/TallTales'', Matteson calls these "echoes" and describes them as people or events that, for whatever reason, are recorded in the nature of the metaphysical realm itself and play back sporadically. He and Alice interact with one directly during the story arc "Tree of Life".
183[[/folder]]
184
185[[folder:Western Animation]]
186* The ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "Poltergasm" involves a spectral embodiment of Francine's sexual frustration, which it was born out of.
187* The past avatars in ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' are Living Memories to their future incarnations, and when the current avatar dies, they join the ranks of past avatars. Since the avatar is continually {{Reincarnat|ion}}ed, there are hundreds if not thousands of past lives the living avatar can call upon for advice and to draw upon during the [[SuperMode Avatar State]].
188* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Superjail}}'' episode "Superhell!", all of the inmates' worst memories come to life during the climax to help destroy Superhell.
189[[/folder]]

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