Is memory erasure possible?

Memory erasure has been shown to be possible in some experimental conditions; some of the techniques currently being investigated are: drug-induced amnesia, selective memory suppression, destruction of neurons, interruption of memory, reconsolidation, and the disruption of specific molecular mechanisms.

Is it possible to plant false memories?

Prior research has also shown that it is possible to plant false memories in other people using certain psychological tricks. Over several sessions, the researchers found that the volunteers began to lose the memories they had created of the false event.

Is it possible to recover repressed memories?

While some psychologists claim that repressed memories can be recovered through psychotherapy (or may be recovered spontaneously, years or even decades after the event, when the repressed memory is triggered by a particular smell, taste, or other identifier related to the lost memory), experts in the psychology of …

Can human memory be manipulated?

Our memories may not be as reliable as we think. Once we experience an event, most of us likely assume that those memories stays intact forever. But there is the potential for memories to be altered or for completely false memories to be planted, according to Elizabeth Loftus, PhD.

Can memory implantation be used to recover repressed memories?

The methods used in memory implantation studies are meant to mimic those used by some therapists to recover repressed memories of childhood events. The high rate of people “remembering” false events shows that memories cannot always be taken at face value.

What is an example of false memory implantation?

In memory implantation studies researchers make people believe that they remember an event that actually never happened. The false memories that have been successfully implanted in people’s memories include remembering being lost in a mall as a child, taking a hot air balloon ride, and putting slime in a teacher’s desk in primary school.

When was the first study on memory implantation published?

The first formal studies using memory implantation were published in the early 1990s, the most famous being “The Formation of False Memories” (commonly referred to as the “Lost in the Mall” study) by Loftus and Pickrell.

Should we stop using memory implants on children?

According to these authors there is no evidence that any children have been harmed in a memory implantation study and until such evidence exists there is no reason to stop using these techniques with children as long as it produces good research.