I Wish I Couldn't Remember...Eating That Entire Pie...

Scientists may one day be able to erase selective memories that you don't want to remember. According to this BBC article, lab tests are already being done on mice to erase part of their memories. I won't bore you with the specifics - you can read the article, but the possible applications to humans include erasing painful memories and traumatic experiences.

While erasing the memory of a rape, or a war veteran's horrid mental flashbacks might sound appealing, I have to wonder where the line would be drawn. There are always statements made by the pharmaceutical companies and the FDA that these things will be regulated, but we all know that these can be abused. Where would the line be drawn? Would we bypass molestation as a child and use it to forget the loss of a pet? Of a family member? What about forgetting a bad break up? Or even a bad marriage (I know a few friends who would love that)? Where do you stop?

Let's look at it in an existential way. If the sum of your experiences is what makes your mind, your soul and your basic existence, then wouldn't the removal of these events change who you are? We consistently hear about how a child who had a rough experiences felt he needed to work harder and in turn becomes a superstar later in life. What if you removed those experiences? Would the child still become an over achieving adult?

There is a reason that the mind remembers. Our mind knows that the sum of our experiences helps us decide future actions. If there is an experience that we simply cannot handle, the mind has been known to block that out too - without the use of a drug.

As painful as it may be, I see this much in the same light as I see altering the female monthly cycle (previous post). If you alter certain things in the body, the body (and mind) will eventually adapt its way around it.

What if a side effect was the mind providing you flashbacks to these chemically blocked memories? Wouldn't you think that you're going nuts?