Memory: How it Works and Recovering Lost

Memory: How it Works and Recovering Lost Memories The concept of memory and what comprises memory is often controversial. Loftus (1998) cites an article reporting on the case of a woman whose family accepted a large settlement on the grounds that health care professionals planted false memories into her mind. The woman suggested that she had been persuaded to believe multiple misconceptions regarding her history via drug therapy and hypnosis.

While the case cited in this story is among the first involving allegation that psychotherapists may induce false memories, there is a long history of such cases brought to trial (Loftus, 1998). How can this happen? The fact of the matter is that memory is for many a big mystery. Psychologists and researchers have been studying memory for some time (Goldsmith, Koriat & Pansky, 2000). The fact of the matter is no consistent conceptual framework exists for defining memory or completely understanding memory (Goldsmith, Koriat & Pansky, 2000).

Memory is generally considered related to past events, and includes descriptions or propositions regarding the truth that are recollections of recovered events stored in the human brain (Goldsmith, Koriat & Pansky, 2000). The extent to which anyone's memory is accurate, reliable or trustworthy however is a matter of controversy (Goldsmith, Koriat & Panksy, 2000). Realistically speaking people often lose correspondence between the actual event and the details recorded in their memory; thus memory in many senses is often distorted.

The content of a memory or the way a person 'remembers' varies significantly from person to person depending on a number of factors including ones mental health and well being, environment and personality or preferences (Goldsmith, Koriat & Pansky, 2000). Recovered memories, when accurate and trustworthy, may serve a variety of purposes particularly in the clinical context (Goldsmith, Koriat & Panksy, 2000).

People may suppress memories during certain periods of time when they are unable to cope with traumatic events, and then later release those memories when they are prepared spiritually and emotionally to heal. There is sound psychological research that supports the idea that people can recover lost memories, and that sometimes all that is required is a stimulus or spark to re-ignite a memory (Goldsmith, Koriat & Pansky, 2000).

It is virtually impossible however to predict whether the memory recovered is accurate, or the extent to which the details remembered by the person are accurate or trustworthy. There are multiple factors that can influence one's interpretation of a given event. Case in point, ask two people who attended the same event three years pervious what they remember and you might get completely different stories. As Loftus (1998) shows, recovered memories may also provide patients with many disadvantages.

Patients can easily be convinced or 'brainwashed' if you will into believing that certain events occurred whether or not these claims are true. This can cause unwanted side effects, emotional pain and other devastating effects on ones ability to cope given their present surroundings.