Suppressed memories and the danger of them being planted.

Memories get lodged in our brain the intensity of which depends on the impact events have had in our life. Do we not sometimes say that we will never forget such and such an event rest of our life? That's it Jen. When we try to recall our childhood those memories that have had a deep impact on our life will come to the fore. But I have never experienced nor narrated a nonexistent memory. There is one possibility however and that is as children we imagine things and live those things which perhaps stay put there and come back when we recall. This applies also to those who have had a disturbed mind. A disturbed mind has hallucinations and these hallucinations become real and get lodged as memories.

The body...and the pysche have "amazing fight or flight" abilities...and this I learned as many years of a paramedic! When there is physical pain/damage...the body shunts the circulatory blood to the major organs which are the life giving organs, as they are what is needed for survival..that is why the description, cold and clammy is used to define shock...as the blood has been shunted to the organs...and THEN the person vomits--reason; bodies beautiful ability to survive..get rid of foreign objects (intestine contents) so the body does not have to deal with the digesting process..all energy need for organs! This is just a simile...and so, we were taught the same thing happens to the brain...things that are impossible to deal with are shunted away..and locked up..in order for the brain to survive! A flight process! I believe horrendous memories are there...and their can be a key, or trigger!

... To know how the mind works in my opinon, means to experience it working directly by self-observation and by suspending judgment. For if we analyse and judge, we are using mind to explain mind, and all we will get is more mind! I think the mind can lie so easily to its owner - in pretending it is it's owner is one point in case! In Zen practice (zazen) I just sit and oberve the way the mind has things wired together, and it can be very enlightening at times. Who is it that watches the mind? Find that out, and we can know more of the workings of the mind, not to say that the mind will like this and co-operate very much! False memory is very interesting. In Zen circles it is said that the past is no more. It is an illusion subject to our imagination, and much of the imagination will manipulate to enhance our ability to judge, and that leads to even more illusion. Yes, I have suppressed memories - we all must have thousands if we take into account that cells contain intelligence that is processed by nothing more than electrical impulses that the brain turn into images and what of genetics? Body sensations creating more images that have been passed down through the generations perhaps? Anyway, through my zazen, many memories have come back to awareness right back from before I could even walk and talk properly. It is all fascinating and strange to get to see something that you didn't know that you knew all along... But the mind is very selective I think, and also very paradoxical. Transcend paradox and I think there are more answers to be found... Enjoy! _Derek

Very interesting discussion. I once read about a psychologist that was using hypnotism and to deal with peoples neurosis and they thought it came from past lives that the person would recall when pressed about why they had certain fears. Other psychologist said most people have no idea why they have fears they just have them and when a person is under hypnosis and pressed as to the "why" the mind will automatically create an answer from pure imagination that is as real as any vivid memory.

I think suppressed memories happen to most people at some time or another. Trauma and horrific things that happen and people cannot handle it so they suppress it. Some are so badly affected they disassociate or act out. Veterans come home with stress disorders. I am watching a show on Showtime called United States of Tara about a thirtyish woman with disassociate identity disorder. I have always been fascinated with this disordered. I watched the movie Sybil and read the book. I also saw All About Eve which was very interesting too. Something so horrific happened in their childhoods that they had to 'disassociate' and become another stronger character or 'alternate personality' to be able to handle the situation. I also read a story about a guy that had DID and one of his alternate personalties was a serial killer. Weird huh? As far as the false memories I think people may take the easier route and their minds or imaginations congers the memory. I wonder if I might have some false memories. Or atleast this one that bothers me sometimes. I remember one time in particular that I recall that my mother and I were driving in the car and she shared some information with me about our family history. But, years later when I spoke to my mom about this she denied it ever happened. Why would I have this memory, have incorporated the information I derived from the experience into my life, and yet it could possibly not have ever happened? I think my mom just forgot about it but still......????

Interesting discussion! I wish I could offer something but it's way out of my field. I will read the different comments and see and learn from what others have to say on the subject. You certainly take some interesting classes. All the best in your studies!

DOnt know if I really surpressed it or just didnt think about it but back a few years ago it came to the surface and I now know why I feel about somethings thru my life and I beleive I have total recall of all what happened I had to be 6 or 7

hi jenintn Psychology is really interesting but its been so long since I actually studied in a class. But I wanted to point ou t that sometimes a psychologist can sort of lead a person into a false suppressed memory. I know one man who was put through hell because his barely adult daughter had been going to this psychologist who somehow put into her mind that she was having emotional problems because she had suppressed the incidents of her father having had incestual relations with her. I knew this man to be a wonderful father and a great husband, and a super human being. I would have sworn he would never have done anything of the sort. For one thing he was a well respected gynecologist. After a long trial the case was thrown out because the daughter testified that she had never remembered her father ever touching her inappropriately at all. She also claimed that the psychologist had put this thought into her subconscious and she knew it was false.I know some men do molest their own daughters but some psychologists mislead their patients too, Those of us who were molested are never likely to forget something so wrong, so disgusting,sickening as it happened to us as small children, nothing surpressed but instead lived with. I myself carried my hatred of my dad into my marriage , and it was making me physically sick. My dear hubby suggested I go to my dad as an adult now and tell him I forgive him, but ask why he did this to me as a snall child just once. He refused to answer me and walked away. but from then on I felt at peace.the loss of that weight of hatred was gone. So maybe some will suppress this but trully I really doubt it.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, JEN. I'm sure i have suppressed memories & i wish i could supress more. I hate it when i go down memory lane which i have done alot of lately it seems.

I have a friend, who was sexually abused, by her brother, as a child. She has a few memories, but not many. I often wonder if she is better off NOT recalling these horrible memories. Maybe they are not meant to come out, in this life.

I think the most common thing that most people can relate to is an accident, time after time it is proven that many details are supressed during an accident, even if it didn't happen to you and you just saw it. Your mind has a wonderful way of protecting it's self and can even forget the whole thing in order to heal it's self. Even in regular day to day living, our senses record much more then the mind lets into the couscious mind. If everything went in there we would be overpowered by unimportant details. Just remember that each person's mind determines what is important. Hubby remembers people and how they look, I remember feelings and colors best.