Fearful memories 'can be erased by blood pressure drug'

Fearful memories 'can be erased by blood pressure drug'

www.telegr aph.co.uk

He said: "Removing bad memories is not like removing a wart or a mole. It will change our personal identity since who we are is linked to our memories. It may perhaps be beneficial in some cases, but before eradicating memories, we must reflect on the knock-on effects that this will have on individuals, society and our sense of humanity."

John Harris, Professor of Bioethics at the University of Manchester, said: "It is obviously up to the individual whether or not she wishes to risk the possible effects, including psychological discontinuity, of erasing unpleasant memories.

"An interesting complexity is the possibility that victims, say of violence, might wish to erase the painful memory and with it their ability to give evidence against assailants.

"Similarly, criminals and witnesses to crime may, under the guise of erasing a painful memory (perhaps of another sort), render themselves unable (with a good excuse for being unable) to give evidence."

(visit the link for the full news article)

It has benifits and it has negative affects also. I am for one is keen to rid of one memory which has haunted me for so long.

My thanks goes to the researches who discovered this, but still needs more debate into whether it is good idea since it can create new problems which we have never faced before.

www.telegr aph.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

it all sounds VERY............Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Dont'cha think?

Originally posted by theRiverGoddess
it all sounds VERY............Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Dont'cha think?

Yeah it does, was a good movie ^^. I'm guessing this is just the beginning. Just think about it, if we can erase a memory than soon we will understand how to see it more clearly like a movie, and learn to manipulate it maybe etc... Sounds more and more like science fiction don't you think (I'm still stunned by the discovery).

A member of my family takes a blood pressure drug for recurrent nightmares. One of the possible side effects is hypotension upon standing quickly. It has eradicated many of the nightmares, but they haven't stopped completely.

It's not a miracle cure but I recommend it with a doctor's approval and an awareness that it is not a universal panacea

If I've read the news stories correctly this wouldn't erase a memory but suppress the fearful reaction to it. So for example if someone was in a crash and had PTSD, after taking this drug they would still remember the crash but it wouldn't come with the associated feelings of fear.

Wont work for me, I have to damn many.
I would need a whole box a day, and it would kill me.
Thanks anyway mr big pharma scammers.

I take metoprolol which is almost the same thing as propranolol.

Hasnt erased any of my memories?

Originally posted by Mike_A
If I've read the news stories correctly this wouldn't erase a memory but suppress the fearful reaction to it. So for example if someone was in a crash and had PTSD, after taking this drug they would still remember the crash but it wouldn't come with the associated feelings of fear.

"Similarly, criminals and witnesses to crime may, under the guise of erasing a painful memory (perhaps of another sort), render themselves unable (with a good excuse for being unable) to give evidence."

But this news source says it will remove it, I am lost now. Are you saying it won't remove it but it will merely remove fear and not the incident.

This source clearly states removing memory. And this is a whole new thing, it is not something old, it was discovered very recently.

Study leader Dr Merel Kindt explained that although the memories are still intact, the emotional intensity of the memory is dampened.

news.bbc.co.uk...

This is what I've read in from other sources and in TV interviews.

It may be that the expert who was asked for his opinion didn't have time to be fully acquainted with the tests.

But anyway, the people who did the test claim the memory is still intact.

Originally posted by Mike_A

Study leader Dr Merel Kindt explained that although the memories are still intact, the emotional intensity of the memory is dampened.

news.bbc.co.uk...

This is what I've read in from other sources and in TV interviews.

It may be that the expert who was asked for his opinion didn't have time to be fully acquainted with the tests.

But anyway, the people who did the test claim the memory is still intact.

Thanks for the correction, I only examined one source. Thanks again

reply to post by hardcoremusiclover

I've been taking it too for years.I always wondered why I had to pause for couple seconds before remembering names and places
I thought I was coming down with Alzheimers at an early age.

If you took it and it worked, how would you know it, as you would not remember the incident anyway, lol

I just read a book in the Artemis Fowl series that was exactly like this... Artemis Fowl, the main character, lost his memory, and then, events triggered his memory and he gained it back... so yes it's possible but is it good? That's another question. In the book Artemis Fowl went back to his old criminal self so what's to stop criminals from using this to forget something bad and going back to their criminal self?

I take Atenolol,

Does that one do the trick????

I wouldnt mind forgetting a few things.....