When an unwanted memory intrudes on one’s thoughts, the natural reaction is to want to block it out. More than a century ago, psychologist Sigmund Freud proposed that humans have a defense mechanism that they can employ to let go of upsetting experiences and unwanted memories.
As research advances, scientists are starting to comprehend how this operates. Recent studies have demonstrated that brain systems play a role in the intentional forgetting of some memories and that it is possible to erase memories from consciousness. So in this article, we will discuss how people can try to forget unwanted memories.
How is Forgetting Bad Memories Important?
How do we erase bad memories from the brain? Over the years, there have been several suggestions that bad memories, particularly those that are frequently recalled, can result in mental disorders. Are psychotherapy and medication the only solutions?
Erasing bad memories is not a fad. Continuously disturbing thoughts can cause sleep issues or other psychological disorders. Therefore, the manipulation of memories aims to help patients fully recover from them and improve their quality of life.
This is not the only solution, as psychotherapy is recommended (usually in cognitive-behavioral therapy) and pharmacotherapy may be used first, depending on the case. Despite not being a common practice, erasing bad memories is still crucial, according to research.
When Did the Idea of Erasing Bad Memories from the Brain Emerge?
The earliest knowledge on this topic dates back to a 1968 study that was reported in the esteemed scientific journal Science. At that time, Rutgers University researchers found that when a laboratory rat was electrocuted while being made to recall a specific experience, memories could be erased or old memories wiped.
Other types of anxiety and memories kept in various parts of the brain in various animals were studied in later years. In a study done by Joseph E. LeDoux et al. at New York University, it was discovered that microinjecting protein synthesis inhibitors into mice's amygdalas can stop the consolidation of memories while they are still recent.
Why Do We Recall Bad Experiences More Than Good Ones?
The majority of people would find that bad experiences stand out more in their memories than good ones. These memories can even intrude into our consciousness when we don't want them to. Negativity bias may be the reason, which indicates that our minds place more importance on negative experiences. Negative bias may be the result of evolution because it may have been useful for helping our ancestors stay alert when in dangerous areas.
Can We Manipulate Our Memories?
In 2019, researchers from universities in Spain, the United States, and the Netherlands discovered new ways to weaken people's anxious memories and reduce their impact on the psyche. First, they pointed out that modifying well-established memories is not easy, but it is not impossible.
An earlier study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University suggested another procedure. Scientists working with mice found that by removing a protein from a region of the brain responsible for remembering fear, they could remove lastingly painful memories.
Propofol and Erasing Bad Memories
In the Science Advanced study, fifty healthy participants were exposed to negative emotion-evoking slide show. The researchers got in touch with them after a week and asked them specific questions. Anesthetic propofol was administered to the subjects when they started to recall the unwanted memories.
They discovered that the medication prevented bad memory reconsolidation after 24 hours, and those who did not take propofol were still able to recall the unwanted associations related to the experimental slide show.
Is this the non-surgical answer to millions of people's mental health issues? Such conclusions are premature, especially given the research team's concerns. According to the researchers, "There is evidence that altering the parameters of a memory reactivation session, such as lengthening the session, can destabilize distant memories."
To assess the optimal dose of propofol, they will need to monitor brain activity during treatment, but at this time, this is still out of the question.
They will need to keep track of brain activity while the patient is receiving propofol to determine the ideal dose, but this is currently not feasible.
Can Surgery Remove Negative Memories?
Lobotomy: It is a psychological surgery that entails severing the nerve fibers that connect the frontal lobe to the inner brain.
Lobotomy has not been practiced for many decades. It was controversial and not agreed-upon at the height of its popularity in the 1940s and 1950s, and surgical treatment of patients with depression and other mental disorders frequently resulted in disability or death.
Although it is difficult to believe, lobotomy applications have ranged from treating mental illnesses to altering memory and even the "cure of homosexuality". The last such procedure was carried out in 1967.
How Do We Forget Unwanted Memories?
By penetrating the human brain, scientists can learn more about the ways that neurons create and store memories. This knowledge may be used by neuroscientists and psychologists to help people forget unwanted memories.
The intentional forgetting theory is supported by some data. According to this theory, if someone is motivated to forget unpleasant or painful memories, they can do so.
1. Replacing Memories
Alternative methods of memory suppression may be considered by some people. This technique implies that people can replace a negative memory by directing their consciousness toward an alternative memory.
Experts have compared this technique to slamming on the brakes or steering a car into an empty space to avoid danger, as replacing an unwanted memory may prevent people from dwelling on negative ones.
2. Changing Contexts
How the mind organizes memories of an event depends on the mental context in which a person experiences it. Context can refer to anything involving memory. It frequently consists of sensory cues like smell or taste, the surrounding environment, and the person's internal thoughts or feelings about the event.
A recent 2021 study discovered that giving positive meaning to a negative past experience can have a lasting impact. A person can alter the context of a negative event and create a positive feeling when recalling it in the future by associating a positive experience with the negative memory.
By altering the way a person thinks about a traumatic situation, they can change the way it makes them feel. This strategy works through a process of cognitive regulation.
In addition, a 2016 study contends that altering the contextual information related to an event may lead a person to purposefully forget a negative memory.
3. Treatment Through Exposure to Memories of Phobia
Exposure therapy is a helpful option for those who suffer from phobias. To aid in the formation of a secure memory, it entails exposing the person to a terrifying situation in a secure setting.
Another study contends that disrupting memory may weaken it. In the same study, researchers showed arachnophobes images of spiders, with subsequent sessions involving longer exposures. By the final session, participants' tendency to avoid spiders had decreased.
The researchers contend that the first exposure weakened the memory. Additionally, a person's ability to retain memories is weakened by prolonged exposure, as it is more difficult for the element of fear to return easily when memories are distorted.
4. Retrieval and Suppression Skills
The strategy of recalling or obtaining information from memory is a component of the retrieval skill. According to research, using the retrieval skill while studying effectively aids in memory retention. Some experts think that by using this method, people may be able to replace unwanted memories.
According to a study published in 2020, retrieval may help in memory retraining, strengthen new memories, and lessen the storming of old memories. According to additional research, suppression—the practice of preventing memories from being recalled—may also help prevent unwanted memories. Also, a 2022 study suggests that suppression helps control intrusive memories by weakening them and making them less powerful.
However, more study is required to comprehend how retrieval can help forget unwanted memories.
In Conclusion
Bad memories are undoubtedly taxing on the brain, the nervous system, and the psychological apparatus, but they are also a necessary component of life. Everyone has bad memories; however, let's consider them as life experiences that have taught us valuable lessons that will help us in the future.
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