This Time, Honey, You Really Are History

Has anyone given thought to the military applications of this?

It could make the temporary sharing of sensitive information for operational purposes more secure. And soldiers might be more likely to volunteer for hazardous or morally questionable duty if they knew they could erase the traumatic memories afterwards.

Spies and saboteurs would feel safer working behind enemy lines if they knew they could hide compromising facts from interrogators by just swallowing a pill. Long-term undercover agents might erase large chunks of their known past, to be replaced, perhaps, by artificial memories induced through post-hypnotic suggestion or other means. Memory manipulation might be used, in conjunction with other psychological levers, to 'turn' enemy agents.

'Re-education pills' could be fed to conquered populations to make them more acquiescent. People would have no memory of times before the conquest – they would forget they were ever free.

A lot would depend, of course, on how well this sort of memory manipulation could be fine-tuned. Still, I have no doubt that, with something of such breathtaking potential, there will be no shortage of money and minds to devote to the research.

reply to post by AzureSky

I'm going to watch that Jim Carey film it sounds a good story line thanks for the tip.

Reply to post by Deemo Diablo;
Salude Chivito.
Ah, the panacea, that which removes clouds which detract from the enjoyment of this most perfect day.
A lover scorned would be a lover free of self doubt and guilt.
The abused child might remember a wonderful childhood as an "adjusted" adult, not bearing scars mentally, nor physically, the mind free to meet each new day with fully reasonable expectations of success in life, not driven by multi player mind games which seek to find silence, in drink, drugs, and eventual self destruction.
But what price will you pay to be as innocent as a babe in it's mother's arms?
Will there even be a you left, or shall a slogan repeating automaton be placed in your stead?
Will the remainder even be able to rise to the task of interaction with those closest, or is an entire life re-imagined, since memory triggers from familiar faces, places, odors, tastes, and even lighting could be a constant echo of the thought..."where have I been, what have I done, who am I really".
And is the price simply too high, in a world where dedication and cold hard memory hint at the delightful chance, no matter how remote, that you just might make those bastards pay, are you happier than when you don't recognize your enemies?
Could a human even live like that?
Not one who has well earned enemies, not long.
Might I suggest an older movie, easily available online.
That movie would be Jacob's Ladder.
The masterful screenplay brings you face to face with an uncomfortably pre-ingrained meme.
Most burnouts were destined to spend a life tethered to "handlers", inside the network were Neuropsychiatrists, Psychologists, Psychotherapists and "experimenters".
Some people did indeed become involved in work which required no memory of the event being in living memory.
Assignments were delivered in a fractional, compartmentalised network, only those in the mission development phase would know enough to be a problem, and they never are.
The operator himself would not as a rule undergo the manipulations of the brain butchers, if a mission were sensitive enough even skilled operators tended to be wiped, not the mind, the identity, yes, that troublesome personality, that which at some point makes most people begin to speak of what must never be spoken of, much less trouble to make a successfull outing a final affair.
Remember, even quarrelsome Directors sometimes find retirement not to be as expected.
Ahem.
Have a pleasant evening.

Hmm...I would buy them. But only so I could take them and forget I have watched the show Lost so I can watch it all over again like it is new.

I would probably do that with a lot of movies, tv shows, books....

Everything else, no matter how bad, should stay right where it is in my mind.

This is such a wonderful blasphemy of an invention. I would take this so I could forget all this conspiracy theory bulls**t, all the end world scenarios, all the evil government stories, and go back to being a simple farmer, loving my wife, the land and life in general. I would see this world for all it's beauty and treasure life again. Agh how simple life would be and I know what everyone of you will, but you would be ignorant of all the atrocities that take place daily, all the evil doers and their devious deeds. I would be unaware of all the s**t I cannot change, that I have wasted 10 years of my life worrying about. Sigh....I wish I could erase all the time I have wasted but it would not change that the "time" is long gone. Ignorance is bliss. I'll take two of these a forget to call you in the morning

I would rather have every memory that I have ever had intact than take something like this. We learn from our mistakes (most of the time) when those mistakes are wiped...do we have to keep doing it over and over? Even the worst moments in my life I would keep. It reminds me that I am human. Not better than anyone else...that I hurt, I cry and I bleed, just like everyone else. And the experiences that lead to those terrible moments in my life would be gone as well...and well...some of those were pretty damn good.

Experiences help shape who we are. When those are wiped...Who are you?

This is not an actual pill. Although there may be associated medication, this is a procedure the victim must stay committed to. Apparently, each session lasts three hours and often times does not work or the worsens the condition.

reply to post by Pepeluacho

That may be the case at present, but – as I pointed out in an earlier post – there are so many potential uses for this that it is most likely only a matter of time before research and development turn it into a viable technology.