I have a young college student friend. This student is taking a psych. class and has discussed some of the paper assignments with me.
One paper asked: if researchers could develop a drug that eliminated memories . . . would you want to take it? Another paper asks, if there were a drug that improved memory, should it be widely available?
After mulling it over . . . I have to say that I think only the superficial unpleasant memories should be eliminated . . . and perhaps the really horrible ones dulled a bit. We learn from bad experiences. We learn that it hurts to put our hands on hot stoves . . . we learn who to trust by betrayal . . . we learn just how strong we are from struggles. Not that anyone wants to learn these things . . . and it would be nice if we could know it with out the bad stuff happening. But, there you go. The big events in our lives shape us into the humans (heh) we become. However, there are scenes from movies . . . or one of the videos from 9/11 that appear in my nightmares . . . I would like to eliminate those things from my memory. They wouldn't change who I am as a "person" but they would help me sleep better at night.
On the flip side . . . there are some events . . . the good ones . . . I'd like to keep my memories of sharp . . . but I wouldn't want a bad memory to be intensified either.
Brains are just the most interesting things, aren't they?
So, what about you folks? Would you want to eliminate or improve memories?
2 comments:
I could go both ways. Lately though....I want the elimination. Easy way out, I know.
Oh yes, interesting question. I think Jim Carey was in a movie about this.
Anyway, I'd vote no, and I've had extreme experiences as a child. Having said that, your memories are a part of who you are. Watching my mother disappear thru Alzheimer's I'd rather keep the good, bad & ugly memories, eventho the idea of erasing some of the ugly ones can be tempting at times.
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