That’s the basis of the thought problem though, it cannot be proven one way or the other. Yes, it’s an extraordinary claim, but also I would want you to think that, wouldn’t I 😉.

the question was whether the memory of a thing has the same value as the real time experience of a thing.

Neurologically speaking, yes, the brain activity of a person experiencing a thing is indistinguishable from a person recalling the thing. So in all tangibly measurable ways, the answer is yes.