Is it possible to delete a memory? | Memory

Is it possible to delete a memory?

In animal experiments, certain substances have already been able to erase individual memory contents in rats. These were fear reactions that the animals developed in response to a certain stimulus (here a current stimulus). If they were injected with the drug immediately afterwards, they lost their fear of the danger they had previously experienced on their own bodies.

This is only conditionally applicable to humans, since the distressing events are usually further in the past and are therefore difficult to manipulate from the outside. In individual cases within the framework of studies, the number of people with post-traumatic stress disorder could be reduced somewhat by the administration of certain drugs, but this has not yet resulted in a comprehensive therapy. Somewhat more established is a procedure in behavioral therapy, in which emotions linked to certain memory contents can be prevented and the memory as such can be blotted out.

One example of this is patients who have had a traumatic experience and have since suffered from severe physical symptoms such as anxiety, sweating, dizziness or even panic as soon as they recall the memory. Through the controlled use of certain medications (such as beta blockers), it has in some cases already been possible to decouple this group of symptoms from the actual memory and thus reduce the force and strength of the memory. This does not mean that the memory is completely lost, but merely remains as a faded, bad memory.

In addition, there are providers who claim to be able to delete memories with the help of hypnosis. These are usually procedures in which the feelings and reactions to the memory are constructively changed and thus a different way of dealing with the memory is trained. All methods of manipulating memory have in common that they are ethically highly controversial and have many critics who argue about the sense and justifiability of these measures.

In the context of serious accidents with permanent brain damage, a loss of memory content (so-called amnesia) can also occur. Damage in the area of the forebrain is particularly severe. However, there are also cases in which the memory of those affected appears to have been erased simply by a very high level of stress or traumatizing experiences.

The subconscious and various mechanisms of repression play a significant role in these cases. However, a lesion of brain tissue is not detectable in these cases.