The idea of manipulating one’s memory has always been a popular concept among both researchers as well as the average person.
The subject of memory has been a popular topic of both discussion and research for thousands of years, with a mountain of literature already written about it. This should come as no surprise considering the fact that memory is an integral part of being human. Without memory, we have no lasting concept of who we are as people.
But, despite it being such an important part of basic human functioning, memory can be incredibly unreliable. It is so unreliable, in fact, that eyewitness testimony is often considered to be a faulty source of evidence and many social scientists urge caution when using it in criminal cases.
Because of its unreliable nature, many studies have been done on how humans can improve their memory, both in regard to the ability to recall memories as well as how accurate each memory recall is. Moreover, there are many people who wish that they could erase certain memories. Or, at the very least, make them less impactful. Indeed, the idea of manipulating one’s memory has always been a popular concept among both researchers as well as the average person.
The Science of Memory
Researchers who study memory often have two goals in mind: help increase our understanding of how memory and its related systems function, and discover how this understanding can be used to benefit people in their everyday lives.
We have a good understanding of how memories are able to form and how the human brain encodes memories into long-term storage and then retrieves them later on. Although it is a complex mechanism, it is relatively simple to understand.
First, the brain takes in sensory information and determines which of this information is actually important. From there, the information enters one’s short-term memory, also called the working memory, where it is kept for a minute at the very most. Unless we make a conscious effort to remember the information, it will be forgotten. However, if the information is retained, then it will be encoded into long-term memory for future recall.
The matter of memory retrieval itself is another complex topic entirely unto itself and is made only more complicated by the research pointing toward the idea that the mere act of retrieving a memory from long-term storage can irreversibly change it.
While we do already know a good deal about the nature of memory and how it works, as with most things regarding the human mind, there is still a lot more left to be discovered. Especially when it comes to how research on memory can be applied in the real world.
Improving and Erasing Memory
One of the most basic ways our knowledge of memory can be applied to everyday life is through improving our own memory. This is such a popular topic that it’s not uncommon for many people to espouse different methods of improving memory. While some of these methods are dubious at best, there are a number of tips for improving memory that are backed by research.
While the idea of improving ones recall of memories is certainly appealing to many, the concept of being able to completely erase unwanted memories has its own allure, especially to those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders.
Not only would erasing unwanted memories help those with PTSD reduce their symptoms, but research has shown that unwanted memories can have a subconscious effect on behavior, which could be reduced if these memories were repressed or removed altogether.
Recent Research and the Future
A lot of research has already been done regarding the different ways that memory can be manipulated, both in the context of treating illnesses like PTSD and phobias or just as a general life improvement. But there is still much more research currently going on as well.
One example of this kind of research is regarding the usage of propranolol to disrupt the fearful memories in those who have arachnophobia. The scientists discovered that, when the subjects were given propranolol just before being shown tarantulas, their memories of being afraid of spiders were transformed and they no longer had such a fear after being subsequently exposed to tarantulas.
Most recently, scientists have learned that by stimulating certain areas of the brain, memories can be either enhanced or suppressed. The researchers discovered that they were able to greatly suppress the fearful memories in mice by stimulating their hippocampus. Through this, they were able to make the mice forget about their previous traumatic experiences, which could prove promising in the treatment of PTSD in humans.
Although a lot more research still needs to be done regarding the concept of erasing memories, the current discoveries already being made show us that memory manipulation has a bright future and could someday offer relief to those suffering from PTSD and anxiety disorders.
