Repressed memories
Repressed memories refer to a phenomenon where individuals may block out memories of traumatic experiences as a psychological defense mechanism. This concept was first introduced by Sigmund Freud, who suggested that traumatic memories could be kept from conscious awareness for extended periods, potentially leading to harmful psychological effects. Freud utilized hypnosis to access these memories, but he later discovered that many of the recalled memories were found to be false, raising questions about the accuracy of repressed memories.
Debate continues among memory theorists about the mechanisms behind remembering or forgetting traumatic events. While some experts argue that repression serves as a cognitive defense, others propose that memory loss may stem from issues in how experiences are processed, particularly under high stress. In the late 20th century, the rise of reported recovered memories, especially of childhood sexual abuse, led to controversy in psychological circles, with skepticism growing regarding their validity due to a lack of scientific backing.
As a result, many mental health professionals now prefer to avoid techniques aimed at unearthing repressed memories, focusing instead on alternative approaches to trauma and memory recovery. The ongoing exploration of memory and trauma illustrates the complexity of human recollection and the varied perspectives within psychology.
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Subject Terms
Repressed memories
- TYPE OF PSYCHOLOGY: Consciousness; memory; psychopathology; psychotherapy
A repressed memory is a memory loss brought on by psychological processes responsible for protecting the mind from potentially harmful experiences. Both memory theorists and clinical therapists have acknowledged that individuals can have recollections of prior traumatic experiences that are later shown to be false.
Introduction
Sigmund Freud was the first to introduce the concept that memories of traumatic experiences or harmful desires could be “repressed” and kept from conscious awareness for years or even an entire lifetime. In 1896, Freud presented an essay to the Viennese Society for Psychiatry and Neurology stating that he believed certain kinds of hysterical symptoms such as the temporary paralysis of a hand or the inability to speak, could be brought on by previously experienced trauma that had been blocked out of consciousness. If these repressed memories were not recollected but continued to fester in the unconscious mind, they could produce harmful psychological effects on the individual. Freud used hypnosis as a means to gain access to repressed memories with the hope that once the traumatic memory surfaced, it could be processed and analyzed within the confines of psychoanalysis. However, Freud soon learned that many of the memories that hypnosis uncovered were found to be false.
Debate
The concept of repression represents an explanation for how past traumatic events could be forgotten over long periods of time. Repression is seen as a type of defense mechanism, protecting the psychological health and well-being of the individual. The forgetting associated with repression is not due to an organic problem with the brain, such as a traumatic brain injury, or a neurological illness such as Alzheimer’s disease, which results in observable brain damage. Repression is seen as a cognitive mechanism at the psychological level of processing that denies the conscious mind access to the preserved, intact memory that resides in the unconscious mind.
One question that memory theorists debate is how people remember or forget a traumatic experience. Contemporary theorists question whether traumatic events, such as childhood sexual abuse, involve cognitive mechanisms that differ from those that process mundane childhood memories. Most researchers agree that the empirical evidence in support of Freud’s repressed memory construct is relatively scant.
Several alternative theories have been proposed to explain how an individual can go for years without being aware of a previous traumatic experience. One rival explanation is to view memory loss as a function of a problem with how memories are processed and eventually converted into long-term memories. Neuroscientist James McGaugh has argued that the abnormally high levels of anxiety associated with trauma interfere with the consolidation of a recent experience into a more permanent representation. Altered brain chemistry, as a result of the highly charged emotions that are present, could result in deficient memory processing for the details of a previous event, while both emotional and perceptual elements are processed normally. This alternative theory could help explain the difficulty an individual has in recollecting a traumatic event experienced years earlier, without relying on the notion of repression. Memory theorist Elke Geraerts and his colleagues point out that research focused on the cognitive functioning of individuals who have recovered memories of previous trauma is still emerging.
False Memories
During the 1980s and 1990s, the number of people who reported recovered memories of prior childhood sexual abuse increased dramatically. These recovered memories typically emerged in two different contexts. In some instances, the recovered memory came spontaneously, perhaps being triggered by cues within the environment that could have resembled cues present during the original assault. In other instances, recovered memories emerged during sessions of psychotherapy, particularly with therapists who relied on techniques such as hypnosis, guided imagery, and dream interpretation. Although it is difficult to determine the accuracy of a memory of a sexual assault in the absence of independent corroborating evidence, there have been many documented cases that appear to indicate that the recovered memory for childhood sexual abuse never occurred. A study published in 2013 indicated that skepticism about the validity of repressed memories among research psychologists and memory experts had grown significantly since the 1990s.
In the twenty-first century, the concept of repressed memories remained controversial in the psychiatric and psychological communities, as experts increasingly considered the idea discredited due to a lack of scientific evidence. The risk of uncovering false memories and the ability of memory to be manipulated also continued to complicate investigation of the phenomenom. Alternative theories on memory and trauma led many in the mental health community to move away from the theory of repressed memories. In a therapeutic setting, most psychiatric and psychological professionals came to avoid any techniques explicitly aimed at uncovering repressed memories.
Bibliography
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