would you go through with the procedure?
 

*Hypothetical*

Read the article below, answer the poll, and discuss :salute:

BERLIN (AP) - A panel of neurosurgeon's announced a breakthrough in medical technology early today in Berlin, Germany that will revolutionize the treatment of patients suffering psychological trauma. Dr. Gehirnkopf, the head of the panel announced the creation of a device capable of what the panel calls "non-invasive neuro-specific de-materialization". The helmet like device, placed onto the head of the anesthetized patient uses an extraordinarily accurate focused energy pulse to dematerialize brain matter on a molecular level effectively erasing a person's memory. In the weeks leading up to treatment, brain activity is analyzed while the patient is asked to focus on and answers questions about a specific memory. Once the center of the active part of the brain is identified within an acceptable margin of error the procedure can be scheduled.

The device is so accurate it can pinpoint the specific area of the brain responsible for retention of the memory effectively erasing the memory in question. The panel has already completed a battery of tests on a group of individuals. One of the test subjects had the memory of his address erased; he could recall the layout and look of his home, even the city in which he lived, but was completely unable to recall the number and street of his own residence. Another test subject was unable to recall her husband's name although she was still capable of identifying his face and could easily recall other details of their 20 year marriage.

The panel indicated that with multiple treatments, a rape victim, child molestation victim, or a victim of virtually any traumatic experience could essentially have all memory of the experience "deleted".

Military organizations have also shown interest in the procedure as a means of treating soldiers suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Doctor's reason that memory of a traumatic combat experience could be erased and in turn eliminate the disorder in most cases.

"Other than the evaluations leading up to the surgery, the procedure is completed on an outpatient basis, requires no invasive incisions and leaves no visible scar tissue." says Dr. Gehirnkopf





so - if you could have a specific memory deleted... would you?

No, and I have my fair share of fairly traumatic life events to remember.

I'd rather make other people I know go through it for certain things :D

By the way, CCIP, you may not remember it now, but I loaned you 100 dollars a week ago and we agreed you'd pay me back today.

Well thats a no-brainer

That was cruel Tribesman

I voted YES. Fortunately I don't have a memory that traumatic that would affect my life.
But in my opinion a memory can be like cancer, slowly destroying you. Why not remove it.

I voted no, because your experiences make you who you are!

No, and peoples brains can more or less already erase memories with out medical assistance, Its called 'denial'.

A definite no....I'd rather develop my own coping strategies.

A specific memory of my choice? If it is one that makes me a traumatized person that suffers dearly from that and is handicapped from it severly in managing my daily life - yes. Assuming of course that removal of the meory of the traumatizing event means relief from the consequences of traumatization (and that is not necessarily so linear a link as one might think). Under certain circumstances, I think that is a non-brainer. It's like asking whether one would have a cancer-infested kidney removed if that extends your life expectancy and relieves you from serious pain in the destroyed organ.

But it should not become a tool of ordinary everyday comfort-craving action. The usual negative experiences we colect in life also define us and make us what we are - in good, and in bad. The idea of the story is a somewhat extreme tool, and I think it should be reserved for extreme situations.

For the record, it seems to be unlikely that the brain is functioning the way the hypothetical articles implies.

But the object of denial remains to be there, well covered, well hidden. Like a sandkorn covered by the layers of a pearl.

I'd pass. I see some risks associated with messing around with something we don't really understand fully. What we know about the brain and its function is a fraction of what there is yet to be understood.

No, I would prefer not to have my brain hacked. The machine is working just fine now. Let's not go play with it.

Should I ever have to suffer from PTSD or similar my opinion may change, but until then it's a definite NO.

If all bad experiences are just deleted then there would be no memory of them, no experience to pass on to the next generation, and then wouldn't that make something like rape OK? It doesn't matter because she can't remember? That guy that lost his leg in Afghanistan has now got no story to tell his grandkids, "Yer, lost it, but can't remember where or when!".

Sorry if the remarks sound flippant, they aren't meant to. :nope:

Exactly.

While there are things in my life I wish I could forget, if they were gone then I would have lived through them for nothing, and I would not be who I am today. Sometimes I think that might be a good thing, but to have part of your life just gone? I watched my father go through that in his last days without outside help, and it wasn't pretty.

No thanks-I am what I was.





Plus that the others said about unforseen consequences, not sure the brain works as neatly as you would think.

I can understand why it might be useful in people suffering from a very traumatic experience that makes them unable to integrate with society. However, as the question is directed at me as an individual then I would have to answer no, most emphatically no. Sure, there are memories I'd rather forget, and indeed I've succeeded in forgetting most of them, or at the very least putting them at the back of my mind but I would not want to lose them for they are a part of me just as much as the good memories.

Steve is right, I've seen people with lost memories, just gotten off the phone with one in fact who thought I was my father, it's not something I'd wish on anyone, not even my worst enemies.

No. I don't believe we know our brain's functions well enough yet. I have already lost most of my memory from birth to autumn 2008 and I would rather keep what I have left no matter how awful those memories are.

Exactly. I've been writing down my memoirs for my kids to read when I'm gone, and I'm amazed at how much I do remember. I've been remembering, and writing down, everything, including the very worst. I want to keep those memories, not lose them.