The Drug Free Way to Forget Stuff

Ok, lets face it.
Everyone has regrets. Some of us have ALOT.
Whether it's sitting down to watch a full episode of "The Real Housewives", or trying to eat your weight in ice cream, you want to forget something.
It's one af the unfortunate aspects of being alive.....memory.

Theres has been talk of a real "spotless mind" like drug, in an earlier thread.

Theres also the old standby of doing keg-stands for 5 hours. (Dont act like you havent)

But what if you could ex-out those memories without drugs or drinking yourself stupid?

Elizabeth Phelps, a NYU psychology professor (and self professed tango dancer) and her colleagues might be on to something.

"This is the first study without drugs showing what we think is the permanent alteration of the memory," Elizabeth Phelps, an NYU psychology professor, told LiveScience. Phelps and her colleagues detail their findings this week in the journal "Nature".

The techniques could also help you with your irrational fears, or phobias. You would never cower at the sight of an angry clown again. Or in my case, you would no longer cringe at the sight of a spider, or Lady Gaga.

Actually, maybe Lady Gaga SHOULD be feared..

The findings also could have implications for treating phobias in a more permanent way, say the researchers. The current therapy of choice involves exposing patients to the feared object, though in a safe environment. This so-called extinction method works, but the fear can come back when the person is under stress.

You can read about the whole process by clicking here:The Original Article

Outside of the obvious questions, whats your opinions?
I guess the question is, would you want to alter your memory?

Is it ok, if something was so traumatic, that you can erase/numb the anxiety that is associated with it? Or is this a step backwards in personal development?

Interesting post, the practice of exposure to the feared object has been around for a long time, and yes it does work to a degree.
When I first start to read the thread I got the impression it was going to be some sort of electrode that could isolate a particular and permanently erase it. That would be a scary thought in itself.

Your question could be answered simply, yes or no, so the next question should be at what cost? And to what means?

Our memories good or bad create the foundation of who we are, and how we react to different situations. That being said lets explore the extremes of memories. First you would never want to get rid of the average fear of falling that we are all born with, because this would cause you to act in a reckless manor like jumping off roofs that are way to high or something worse that could cause you death.
But now the extreme fear of falling that could lead to things such as the fear of ever walking up or down stairs or just even one stair. This would great impede upon your quality of life. This is the kind of thing I would definitely want to get rid of if I had that fear.

Some may want to get rid of a traumatic event permanently, but this too can be a bad thing, therapy can usually help a person deal with the trauma and they can continue to live a full life. But to forget it all together, then what lessons that may have been learned from the event no matter how bad it was will also be forgotten.

What we are describing it a paradox, we would not change the entire world as we no it by going back in time and stepping on an ant. But a paradox none the less with in our own brains. So with that in mind I don’t think I could even justify having it done to me even in the extreme case.

Well that’s my 2 cents, thanks for the thread.

reply to post by drmeola


When I first read the article, I expected some type of surgery/medical procedure also.
I agree that you learn from trauma. I personally would not want to forget any that has occured in my life.

I think this is another example of "mind over matter" if trained correctly like they are doing in the experiment with their windows of open memory, the human mind is capable of doing amazing feats.

What if instead of just changing a memory we can change our bodies or our health with a similar premise, where during a certain time frame of finding out of an illness we are able to overcome it???

fascinating stuff..

reply to post by worldwatcher


Funny you mention that. They say that the mind controls everything. I mean, hypothetically, shouldnt we be able to control everything our body and mind does with the right training?

I would love to see a study on fighting cancer, using similar techniques to Dr. Phelp's studies.

Technically, if it worked...you could fight cancer, win, and then erase the memory of ever having it!!!

reply to post by worldwatcher


The mind is an amazing organ and given the chance can do anything.
Example there was a head of a hospital who got cancer as a physician she the regular means would do more harm then good, so she went for alternative measures. She quit her job so she could get rid of stress began eating healthy and laughing a lot. The lump was in the middle of her chest between her breasts and was getting larger, size of a grapefruit large. But the growth had slowed its progression. But was not shrinking so she opted to have just part of it removed, less then half if my memory serves me. In time the lump or mass began to dissolve and the cancer was gone. She made a tape of about this and I will try and find it I have it some were in the house and give you more info on her name and the title of the tape.

My point under the right circumstances the body can indeed heal itself.

Another case I heard of from the horse’s mouth as it were. A friend of mine a scientist in the navy who deals with specific viruses was working on AIDS back in the 1970, she told me a lot about the disease long before the general public had much knowledge of it, she also told me the mind can help the body heal itself of this if only given enough time to do so. The problem is most people die before the brain can fully implement its plain of attach as it were to fight off the disease.

Well that’s all I have to add for now. Good post this is what came to mind when I read it.

reply to post by InertiaZero


to your post i would direct you to the comments i just posted.

I think this study was done back in the day, like in the early parts of 1920s or 30's. It was done with a little kid named Albert or Alfred and they showed him a bunny and banged pots and pans behind him. he was then scared of bunnies, and anything soft (like a fuzzy blanket). They then later reconditioned him to not be afraid of bunnies, but it took awhile.

Scientists bad. Good science either way though and ABSOLUTELY something people should be aware of.

Your thread makes me think of an extraordinary scene I once saw.
The last few seconds of this clip are the best, but I think the Captain sums it up best.

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by drmeola


I believe you! but I think as this experiment is showing the timing has to be right as well as the person being in the right state of mind for it work and produce the desired results.

Science and the four methods of yoga need to meet in earnest in the western world imo..

reply to post by dragonsmusic


Good one I forgot all about that excellent reference good fine.

we fear that which we do not understand nor comprehend, it is this ignorance to a situation which inhibits the reaction of fear or paranoia.

the exposition approach to a fear works by tricking one's brain into believing it understands the fear through continued exposure to that feared situation. human beings naturally learn through experience, so that exposure to the fear forces experience without complete comprehension due to the absense of actual risk in the controlled exposure.

ie: you don't fear spiders, you acknowledge the possibility of being bitten (consciously or subconsciously) and in turn fear not knowing whether the venom is toxic or not due to your lack of knowledge of arachnids. If you read a book on venomous spiders you would be able to approach spiders with the knowledge of whether they are a threat or not.

ie: you don't fear high places, you fear not knowing the limits that your body can endure from a fall at a selected height.

you would be surprised at how many people truely believe the human body can withstand a fall of five stories or more, it is knowing that you cannot survive that will ironically dismiss this fear, because you can now make rational decisions at those heights.

example situation: you are working on a roof fifty feet high.

ie: you know that you will die if you fall off this roof, so every step you make is calculated towards that limit, therefore you are able to psycologically withhold that fear.

ie: you don't know if you will die ot live if you fall off this roof, so every step is overcalculated, this overcalculation is a byproduct of your fear, fear being a natural psycological reaction to help ensure your survival through the situation.


[edit on 10-12-2009 by raj9721]

reply to post by raj9721


Excellent post well thought out and well written, thank you for your insight and point of view.

great replies!
i think everyone on this page deserves a star!