Sweet baby Jesus and the orphans, I think I've got it! After copious amounts of research, some very imaginative sketching and a helpful dream or two I can safely reveal the details of In Memorium's memory manipulation. A lovely bit of alliteration there.
I started my research at the science department of Cambridge University. There seems to be an over riding opinion on memory manipulation in the wider community (one that I mentioned in my post The First Hurdle). Not only is it controversial but doctors are suggesting it it may be unethical. I'm not sure I agree that the softening of painful memories could ever be considered an immoral practice but then again I'm not well versed in the long term affects of such treatments. From what I can tell, beta blockers and hypnosis are utilised in shifts to break down the connections inside the memory segment of the cerebral cortex. Obviously this is one hell of a dangerous option – one slip of the watch and a woman's wedding night could be completely removed. Actually, depending on the husband, that may be a good thing.
So what if I invented beta enhancers? Something that builds extra connections between event and memory? With enhancers and hypnosis, doctors can implant patient-designed memories by repeatedly describing the scenery of whatever is desired. I'm a little worried about the details of all this; I don't want to write sci-fi but I need to make up some very non-existent science. I wrote this as an example article for the treatments:
Scientists at Cambridge University are asking the question of whether deliberate and permanent manipulation of human memory will be a possible procedure in future years. Vanessa Palmer, a behavioural professor, agrees that treatment of post traumatic stress syndrome can be achieved with the use of beta-blockers, but wonders if the opposite effect could be realised. The commercial possibilities of providing a patient with completely new, designer memories is a tempting factor but Palmer insists that the treatments would be used as a form of psychotherapy.
Anyone have any thoughts on how feasible this sounds?
Lara S.
Hey Lara, there's an old Charlton Heston movie called Soylent Green. An amazing food replacement. Full of vitamins, yada yada yada. Turns out to be made from humans!!You die at a certain age and are turned into food for the masses. So, your idea sounds very feasible to me. Good luck with it.
ReplyDeleteThe only problem I foresee is the actual memory of getting the memory implanted. If you see what I mean.
ReplyDeleteIf the patient knows they went to get this memory, then surely that would spoil the efficacy of the process. This then leads to the various problems surrounding how to get around it all. The most effective solution i can think of right now is to change the memory of the patient to believe they came to get a different memory: that way the crappy secondary memory would be the focus of any problems and the original memory (the one they actually wanted) would 'slip by' and be integrated more effectively.
Good point, Luke. Perhaps I'd need to include some kind of treatment with beta-blockers to actually remove the memory of them choosing a new memory. Wow. This could get out of hand. Thanks for giving me something to think about.
ReplyDeletewhat is a behavioural professor? one who behaves?
ReplyDeleteExcellent definition! A behavioural professor is a professor in behavioural science. Should this be more clearly defined?
ReplyDelete