It seems that there is a chemical way to unlearn something. Suggested uses are to help people suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorders). Read here. Sounds interesting.
Now I’m not clear how this can be targeted to certain fears but I suspect that many of us are already using this unconsciously. It must be built in to us.
The reason I say this is that when you think back you can remember being touched and touching in a sexual encounter so much that it arouses you and your body reacts. That is an experience you don’t want to forget. Now think about catching a sensitive part of your anatomy in your zip. It makes you cringe but you don’t feel the agony nor the pain that followed. Your body has effectively unlearned that from your memory. You just can’t feel it again and a good thing too.
Now not everyone suffers from PTSD. I wonder if the difference is actually in our minds? Someone is already unlearning it automatically and relegating it to the dim past yet others with a particular mindset either one they are born with or one they have learnt growing up actually cannot let go and forget it.
I wonder if it is something we can just give an injection for. I suspect PTSD is more for an individual mind to resolve and this treatment is more for other uses. Although at the moment I can only think of bad uses. For example where we erase memories. Such a thing shouldn’t really be something we are looking at doing especially the way our governments are starting to shape up.
This needs a longer answer. I’m working on it and will post it here in a day or two.
Interesting posts and of course, I have the answer!
Humans ,due to likely repeat events which would stifle us ,like say in childbirth, are equipped to forget the sensation of pain,but retain the sensation memory of pleasure.
Psychologists have also learned that the frontal part of the brain is our logical ,control center which calms the emotional part of our brains’mid brain] which is the part that is impulsive,emotional and without restraint. They have found that people who did not have parents who sufficiently calmed them during stressful times, teaching them coping skills ,which controlled impulsive,emotional reactions,fears etc did not develop their frontal lobe of the brain to the extent other did. Therefore, they did not acquire techniques to self calm,and allow their logical centers to take control during stressful events. This would logically explain PTSD being variable between people,although,under the right circumstances, I think everyone could develop it.
The long answer is not mine but one version of it is here.
Basically, masking drugs and hypnosis have been used for a long time – for good, yes but also for military and other purposes.
James, OK thanks for that article. I can see that the tools are there to make these changes. Very interesting. I wonder how much of this we actually do for good. I bet more bad stuff goes on. I’ll keep an eye out and see if I can find more.
Am I invisible???
Uber, I wouldn’t know. Try looking in a mirror. If you don’t see anything then try walking in sunlight. It will help in the diagnosis.