Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Memory altering pill - farfetched?
Suppose you could erase bad memories from your mind. Suppose, as in a recent movie, your brain could be wiped clean of sad and traumatic thoughts.
(Are you done supposing? :p )
That is science fiction. But real-world scientists are working on the next best thing. They have been testing a pill that, when given after a traumatic event like rape, may make the resulting memories less painful and intense.
Will it work? It is too soon to say. Still, it is not far-fetched to think that this drug someday might be passed out along with blankets and food at emergency shelters after disasters like the tsunami or Hurricane Katrina.
That was the introduction to an article that caught my attention because of its title and had me yearning for more as I went on. If you think this is interesting than I recommend that you visit the site here. You learn something new everyday.. enough said :)
7 Comments:
I'm sure that a pill like this would help people who've been through traumatic ordeals, but isn't part of getting over it accepting and acknowledging that it's happened? I don't think that a person should have any of their memories erased, because whether good or bad, with everything that happens there is a lesson to be learned.
I know where you're coming from mimi, but I reckon when it comes to the human brain there's comparitevely much less experimenting going on. Once again as you said, new and shocking medication :)
libelulla: I'm not sure how far you've read through the article, but the pills aren't really meant to erase memories. It's a bit more complicated than that, they alter the way by which such traumatic memories are 'saved'. So according to what you've said, that memory would still exist but they wouldn't suffer certain symptoms like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). So I take it that the lesson is learnt nevertheless :)
I'm 200% against this. It defys the way a human - soul and body - works. Things like these have great moral effect which is most usually destructive ..
It's just like having power to see know your future, It's a scientific breakthrough yes, but also immoral.
ti3gib:To me personally, I think everything in life has its advantages and disadvantages and when it comes to decision making it depends on which of the two outweighs the other.
The benefits in this case are very clear, and the motives are also obvious. However not all the disadvantages are clear to us at the moment (such as undesirable side effects) therefore I believe this whole issue could be very easily misjudged :)
Whoopsie, ok I feel like an idiot now. Alright, if it just alters the memories so that they're less intense, maybe it's not such a bad thing, but at the same time I can't help but think that it goes against our nature. Having strong, vivid memories is just one of the things that separates us from animals.. why change that? Although, personally if I went through a lot of trauma that has affected me psychologically, I would do whatever I could to reduce the pain I was going through (emotional/psychological pain). Maybe if it was available as an option, it might not be such a bad thing.
Eh, I'm all confused. I have mixed feelings about this.
libellula: I'm not supporting this new type of medication in anyway, but how does this type of medication out of all types, go against our nature? Once again if we're talking of morality, then how can helping individuals that have experienced things such as rape by reducing their painful memories be immoral? Afterall that is the aim of such medication :)
It isn't right. Sometimes science goes way too far for it's own good. Plus, it won't work out anyway. And yes, it does go against human nature. For example, if you knew your future, life would be without any surprises! That's why it doesn't happen. I'm not religious or anything but I don't believe this is right.
Yeah, yeah they'd want to forget a rape case or something. But that is something they've gotta deal with. If they get through it by themselves, they'll be much stronger knowing they beat it!
So about this silly medication, what a poor waste of money.
I'm just a guy who knows things. Things you money grubbers, scientists and materialists will never know or understand.
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