10 replies to this topic

[The Immortalist]

I've been recently searching for research pertaining to the removal of memories from the human consciousness but to no avail.
Does anyone here know if it's possible to erase memories from your brain? Is there research on this topic? Is there any known treatments to induce retrograde amnesia?

The reason I'm asking is because I have some very disturbing memories that I can't seem to get rid of. It is almost debilitating my life. It's not enough for me to treat any of the symptoms these memories cause, I want them erased, I want them erased so much that I would even remove an eighth of my brain if that's what it took to get rid of them.

Edited by The Immortalist, 08 January 2011 - 03:37 AM.

[PWAIN]

Electro shock therapy is supposed to do this, however, I don't believe that we have anything that is selective in which memories get erased. Perhaps talk to a doctor about what can be done.

[The Immortalist]

I found out about a guy called Scott Bolzan who has a form of amnesia which erased all of the memories of his life. http://www.scottbolzan.com/

I wonder if it would be possible to recreate those conditions so I too could induce myself into retrograde amnesia.

[rwac]

Memories Selectively, Safely Erased In Mice

[The Immortalist]

Memories Selectively, Safely Erased In Mice

Thanks rwac that was a really good article. Now if only if they could do it in humans.

Does anyone here know how I could be a test subject for research on PTSD?

[The Immortalist]

Anymore ideas anyone?

[Logan]

Anymore ideas anyone?

Don't erase them, deal with them. See a good therapist and work through what you need to so that you can move past the memories and have a more fulfilling life(there are likely other reasons why therapy would help you. Most of us could benefit from it).

[Marios Kyriazis]

The generally accepted way of treating problematic memories is to face them, analyse them and try to come to term with them. Some people with such memories try to bury them deep into their subconscious and this causes all sorts of problems with behaviour and mental problems.

I don't believe there is any treatment that can 'erase' memories. Our brain is not a mechanical computer with an erasable disk. Even if there is something that erases memories, how can you be sure it will erase 'those' memories and not something else? Also, sacrifising a part of your brain won't work either. Memories are stored in a widespread manner across the brain.

[xEva]

I just saw this article today: Erasing fear memories — key receptor and essential timeframe discovered

[The Immortalist]

The generally accepted way of treating problematic memories is to face them, analyse them and try to come to term with them. Some people with such memories try to bury them deep into their subconscious and this causes all sorts of problems with behaviour and mental problems.

I don't believe there is any treatment that can 'erase' memories. Our brain is not a mechanical computer with an erasable disk. Even if there is something that erases memories, how can you be sure it will erase 'those' memories and not something else? Also, sacrifising a part of your brain won't work either. Memories are stored in a widespread manner across the brain.

My problem is that I have faced them head on, analyzed them and tried to come to terms with them. What other option do I have but to erase them if they won't go away no matter what? These haunting memories have been with me for more than 5 years never going away, always in the background of my mind. The only thing that I've found that makes them go away is by getting a severe lack of sleep, or by getting myself drunk.

It doesn't have to be selective, for me it could be a retrograde amnesia that wipes out every past memory I have. There must be someway to erase memories either through drugs, electro shock therapy, getting someone to hit me on the head with a baseball bat, hypnosis, brain surgery, etc.

[Elus]

The generally accepted way of treating problematic memories is to face them, analyse them and try to come to term with them. Some people with such memories try to bury them deep into their subconscious and this causes all sorts of problems with behaviour and mental problems.

I don't believe there is any treatment that can 'erase' memories. Our brain is not a mechanical computer with an erasable disk. Even if there is something that erases memories, how can you be sure it will erase 'those' memories and not something else? Also, sacrifising a part of your brain won't work either. Memories are stored in a widespread manner across the brain.

My problem is that I have faced them head on, analyzed them and tried to come to terms with them. What other option do I have but to erase them if they won't go away no matter what? These haunting memories have been with me for more than 5 years never going away, always in the background of my mind. The only thing that I've found that makes them go away is by getting a severe lack of sleep, or by getting myself drunk.

It doesn't have to be selective, for me it could be a retrograde amnesia that wipes out every past memory I have. There must be someway to erase memories either through drugs, electro shock therapy, getting someone to hit me on the head with a baseball bat, hypnosis, brain surgery, etc.

I would imagine a therapy where the person in question recalls the memory actively, and the neurons that fire most are analyzed and then deleted. Would probably be risky, and it's just a thought that crossed my mind, thinking about a way to selectively kill memories.

I would talk to someone about these memories. That often helps, but it varies from person to person.