Memory is a concept that has aroused curiosity in the world of science from past to present and is one of the basic structures of human identity. However, traumatic memories can seriously negatively affect daily life. In disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder, the person experiences psychological wear and tear by remembering a bad event over and over again in daily life. So can we save people from this bad experience, that is, is it possible to erase traumatic memories from human memory?
How Memory Works: In our brain, memories are stored in regions called the hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex. The amygdala in particular is a critical structure that determines the emotional burden of traumatic memories. However, new research by scientists has shown that memories are not fixed, but are reinterpreted and recorded every time they are remembered. This raises the question of whether memories can be systematically manipulated.
Memory Manipulation Techniques: Today, many scientific techniques have been developed and continue to be developed for memory regeneration and manipulation of memories.
Beta Blocker Drugs (Propranolol): Beta-blocker drugs do not completely erase memories from memory, but they can change the person’s reactions when they remember these memories and reduce the emotional burden of the individual against this situation.
Memory Erasure with Optogenetics: Optogenetics is an emerging field of science that uses light to control genetically modified cells. Scientists are currently conducting experiments on mice.
Shank3 Protein: A number of studies conducted at Columbia University have shown that some traumatic memories in the brain can be forgotten by using this protein.
TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation): Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a method that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression.
Now the question is posed: is it right to erase memory? Memory erasure and manipulation brings with it a number of ethical issues. Does memory manipulation change a person’s former identity? Would the person make the same mistake as before? Questions such as these raise ethical questions about memory manipulation studies. Scientists say that instead of erasing memories, the emotional impact of memories can be reduced. So instead of forgetting traumatic memories completely, our reactions to them can be changed. However, how these techniques and technologies will be used and their effects are still under debate
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