# A Pill To Erase Painful Memories - Forever!



## Gahars (Apr 19, 2012)

So, I'm sure everyone here has had a painful memory or two; a stupid decision here, a poorly chosen comment there, a missed opportunity in-between. And with experiences like that, it's easy to agonize over them for hours on end (Brain: I'm sorry, did you want to feel good about yourself today? Too bad!).

Well, what if there was a hypothetical pill that could permanently remove that memory? Would you ever consider using it? Even just once? I'm sure it would be pretty tempting.

Now what if that hypothetical pill wasn't so hypothetical?



> This isn’t Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-style mindwiping. In some ways it’s potentially even more effective and more precise. Because of the compartmentalization of memory in the brain—the storage of different aspects of a memory in different areas—the careful application of PKMzeta synthesis inhibitors and other chemicals that interfere with reconsolidation should allow scientists to selectively delete aspects of a memory. Right now, researchers have to inject their obliviating potions directly into the rodent brain. Future treatments, however, will involve targeted inhibitors, like an advanced version of ZIP, that become active only in particular parts of the cortex and only at the precise time a memory is being recalled. The end result will be a menu of pills capable of erasing different kinds of memories—the scent of a former lover or the awful heartbreak of a failed relationship. These thoughts and feelings can be made to vanish, even as the rest of the memory remains perfectly intact.


Source: Wired (It was a bit tough to find a quote that best expressed the content of the article. It's long but, if you're interested in the subject, definitely worth a read).

Basically, scientists are gaining a greater and greater grasp on how exactly our memories work; by taking advantage of the chemical reactions going on, they are beginning to figure out how to remove some altogether. With continued development and refinement, it may only take a single pill to wipe a bad experience.

Now, it's worth noting that there's a serious, practical benefit to this technology. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a serious condition that afflicts many veterans (especially in the United States). For sufferers, it can be difficult to readjust back into society, and suicide is all too common. While have therapies designed to help them, their effectiveness leaves a lot to be desired. With this pill, we might finally have a treatment to help these people move past their lingering trauma.

From there, though, it's anyone's guess as to how it will be used, or if it *should* be used at all. As it advances more and more, we're going to have to take a good, long look at how we define memory, and what it means to us. We're going to have to start asking some pretty tough questions.

Fortunately, though, there is hope. And hey, if we don't like the answers, now we can just forget them.


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## Tom Bombadildo (Apr 19, 2012)

Man...I wouldn't want to erase a part of my life. Bad decisions = learning experience. Remove the decision, remove the experience, do it again.


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## Just Another Gamer (Apr 19, 2012)

I kinda want this. A life without painful memories and bad experiences is a happier life and even after you learn from them it doesn't mean your any happier than before, I rather have no bad memories and be happy then be wise and so depressed I want to kill myself.


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## FireEmblemGuy (Apr 19, 2012)

Suprgamr232 said:


> Man...I wouldn't want to erase a part of my life. Bad decisions = learning experience. Remove the decision, remove the experience, do it again.


Yeah, pretty much this.


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## gamefan5 (Apr 19, 2012)

Personally, I would prefer remembering bad experiences no matter how painful it is. 
Because it's what makes us grow as a person. It's what makes us human. It also helps you what true nature of life is (that nothing is perfect in life and bad things will always happen no matter how hard we try to carefully avoid it.) It's better to reflect on it  and keep moving forward.


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## Presto99 (Apr 19, 2012)

Holy crap! If they get this down to near perfection after a while...man, I'd have some smart uses for it, but I know if possible, I'd waste some of these on erasing memories of vidya games! 999, Ever 17, Ghost Trick, and others. Some games are just so much better when you don't know what will happen next, namely story-oriented games. FUTURE!


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## nando (Apr 19, 2012)

pain and sadness should be cherished imo.


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## Sterling (Apr 19, 2012)

No way, nothing that will happen to me should be lost. My life is my legacy, and if I forget my legacy, I forget myself. Pain, sadness, loss, and unpleasant experiences should be a learning experience. These memories define who we are, and if I'm not mistaken, people who forget, long to remember (amnesiacs).


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## Bobbyloujo (Apr 19, 2012)

This is about the only drug I'd be interested in.


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## Just Another Gamer (Apr 19, 2012)

I guess i'm the only one who does want to forget certain things in my life but I guess its just cause I'm so bloody depressed at the moment I couldn't really care less.


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## Rockhoundhigh (Apr 19, 2012)

Science is awesome, but I could easily see this being abused in the future if it became easily accessible.


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## DinohScene (Apr 19, 2012)

I wish I could wipe out ~15+ years of agony.....
Then again I do want to remember the good things between those events that kept me going.


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## Zetta_x (Apr 19, 2012)

It's sad to see how much people would kill to be happier. Is that what humans have came down to... to maximize happiness? 

Wouldn't be good for a legal standpoint... lot of criminals can take advantage of this.


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## Phoenix Goddess (Apr 19, 2012)

Just Another Gamer said:


> I guess i'm the only one who does want to forget certain things in my life but I guess its just cause I'm so bloody depressed at the moment I couldn't really care less.




Trust me, you'll get over it.

A life with no pain or sadness leaves you with less life experiences. Our experiences help shape us into the people we are today.

I can't imagine how many teenagers would be popping this pill after every break up. So hopefully, this is only given to those in serious need, not ridiculous things.


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## nando (Apr 19, 2012)

Just Another Gamer said:


> I guess i'm the only one who does want to forget certain things in my life but I guess its just cause I'm so bloody depressed at the moment I couldn't really care less.




sorry to tell you but if your depression is caused by a chemical imbalance you could have nothing but good memories and still be depressed.


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## Bobbyloujo (Apr 19, 2012)

Just Another Gamer said:


> I guess i'm the only one who does want to forget certain things in my life but I guess its just cause I'm so bloody depressed at the moment I couldn't really care less.


Cheer up, bro. I know that feel.


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## MountApple (Apr 19, 2012)

I only see one problem. If the memory gets erased what will prevent you from doing it again? Maybe some memories are better off forgotten but a lot of the experiences and memories help you later in life. 

Like the star wars prequels. We can't forget them or else something like that may happen again...


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## Edgedancer (Apr 19, 2012)

The real question is whether the memory will still have an impact on our lives, and whether we react to certain triggers with recollection of why we do it. I have a close friend who was molested while she was younger and as such, has a hard time trusting people and opening up, but if she forgot the event, would she still be the same without the reasoning, or would her personality change.


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## Janthran (Apr 19, 2012)

There are certain things on /b/ that I wouldn't mind forgetting..


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## DinohScene (Apr 19, 2012)

Janthran said:


> There are certain things on /b/ that I wouldn't mind forgetting..



Then stop going to that unfunny hole of filth.
If you're so keen on mentioning it then grab it together and man up!


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## pyromaniac123 (Apr 19, 2012)

I thought the title meant putting a live grenade in your mouth and removing the pin.


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## The Milkman (Apr 19, 2012)

Huh, forever? This has misuse and a lot of flat out durps writen all over it. I mean, how long does it take to actually take effect? How will the public react? How would Medi-care react? All this seems to do is remove one of the most important mental aspects humans have, learning from mistakes. Unless this is only used for the WORST-CASES of post-tramactic stress, its going to just be abused like crazy, I mean hell, Presto wanted to use it so he could play video games over again!  Imagine what someone with stupider (no offense presto) would do with it! I don't mind the thought of us having it, hell, we have so many friggn bombs we could blast this planet to hell 20 ways to Sunday. Just prevent it from being used with a prescription from atleast 1 physician and 2 therapists, and only accessible to certain people, like a veteran with more then just a year in a war.


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## Midna (Apr 19, 2012)

Gahars said:


> From there, though, it's anyone's guess as to how it will be used, or if it will be used at all. As it advances more and more, we're going to have to take a good, long look at how we define memory, and what it means to us. We're going to have to start asking some pretty tough questions.


You naive fuck, how do you think this is going to be used? For PTSD treatment? Development on this needs to stop. Now.


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## KingVamp (Apr 19, 2012)

Midna said:


> You naive fuck, how do you think this is going to be used? For PTSD treatment? Development on this needs to stop. Now.


Overreacting?

I didn't know. If it is regulated property, the potential problems may not be as big.


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## Sheimi (Apr 19, 2012)

This would benefit me of forgetting my horrid bad childhood. But wouldn't we repeat the same mistake? As the saying goes "History repeats itself".


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## KingVamp (Apr 19, 2012)

Sheimi said:


> This would benefit me of forgetting my horrid bad childhood. But wouldn't we repeat the same mistake? As the saying goes "History repeats itself".


I really didn't think it would be %100 chance of happening, specially if it was a specify experience someone else place on you.
As shown by presto, it doesn't even have to be a mistake.


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## LightyKD (Apr 19, 2012)

KingVamp said:


> Midna said:
> 
> 
> > You naive fuck, how do you think this is going to be used? For PTSD treatment? Development on this needs to stop. Now.
> ...



Have you not learned anything from Star Trek?  As a species, we have a bad habit of letting our weapons grow faster than our wisdom.  If you simply think that the problems to come from said pill will simply be skipped then,  you have a lot to learn about the world around you.  This pill is bad news and will be used for one. Of two things.  Mind controlled or as a weapon.  This is all around bad news.  I'm a huge science advocate but there are just some elements of life and nature that just shouldn't be fucked with.


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## lufere7 (Apr 19, 2012)

Presto99 said:


> Holy crap! If they get this down to near perfection after a while...man, I'd have some smart uses for it, but I know if possible, *I'd waste some of these on erasing memories of vidya games! 999, Ever 17, Ghost Trick,* and others. Some games are just so much better when you don't know what will happen next, namely story-oriented games. FUTURE!


You just exactly mentioned the 3 games I would like to erase of my memory to enjoy once again 
Also, this reminds me of True Remembrance, what a great game.


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## troydude6 (Apr 19, 2012)

Dang, I could totally keep playing Mother 3 over and over again and love it every time.
Where do I sign up?


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## Bladexdsl (Apr 19, 2012)

i'll need to erase my whole life than pretty much!


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## Gahars (Apr 19, 2012)

Midna said:


> Gahars said:
> 
> 
> > From there, though, it's anyone's guess as to how it will be used, or if it *should* be used at all. As it advances more and more, we're going to have to take a good, long look at how we define memory, and what it means to us. We're going to have to start asking some pretty tough questions.
> ...



Damn. Struck a nerve, huh?

Our history shows that mankind has a knack for finding ways to weaponize pretty much anything and everything (just ask poor Alfred Nobel). Every bit of technology and scientific research has the potential for misuse.  If you stopped every bit of scientific development on that basis, there wouldn't _be_ scientific development.

To stop a potential breakthrough in therapy for people suffering from PTSD (and who knows what other ailments this could help) for paranoia and pessimism alone is ludicrous. To let their suffering needlessly continue would be shameful.

(Note: I had made a typo in the original post. I fixed it in this post as well.)


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## Janthran (Apr 19, 2012)

DinohScene said:


> Janthran said:
> 
> 
> > There are certain things on /b/ that I wouldn't mind forgetting..
> ...


I actually have stopped, after that *thing*.


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## Sterling (Apr 19, 2012)

A big problem I would see happening is someone murdering someone and taking one of these and forgetting about it. You can't be tried if you have no knowledge of what you did.


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## Gahars (Apr 19, 2012)

Sterling said:


> A big problem I would see happening is someone murdering someone and taking one of these and forgetting about it. You can't be tried if you have no knowledge of what you did.



Of course you can! As long as the prosecution has the evidence that you committed the crime, you're going to get tried, memories or not.


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## Thesolcity (Apr 19, 2012)

No, I don't like things messing with my brain. Lest you want certain games coming to life.


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## mysticwaterfall (Apr 19, 2012)

I find it very hard to believe this will ever be targeted enough to remove just the specific memory in question, plus there are numerous other side effects to consider. We have a very primitive understanding of neurology right now. 

One good example is antidepressants. Any particular one will not work in around 30% of patients for no known reason. So we try another one until something works. Even though the newer agents are "selective" that really just means they are more preferential for some things then others, not that they only do those things. It's incredibly difficult to target something to one specific thing, even more so to one precise area.

As for people debating about abuse, this would 100% be guaranteed abused. People take/do many other things now to "forget".


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## ZAFDeltaForce (Apr 19, 2012)

Such a pill should definitely be a tightly controlled drug, like morphine. It is capable of great healing but of great destruction as well. There's no telling what abuse would do.

With that said, it should greatly help trauma victims. Most bad experiences or mistakes should be remembered as a learning point, as a lesson. Then again, there are some memories that are detrimental to one's mental health and state. Some memories that gnaw at you night and day, depriving you of sleep and sanity. Some memories that just doesn't want to go away.

Some memories that must be purged.


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## DiscostewSM (Apr 19, 2012)

And how many painful mistakes/memories had to be experienced to get to this point in scientific history? Had it not been for those, we probably wouldn't be anywhere near as advanced as we are now. Pain is a part of life.


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## KingVamp (Apr 19, 2012)

DiscostewSM said:


> And how many painful mistakes/memories had to be experienced to get to this point in scientific history? Had it not been for those, we probably wouldn't be anywhere near as advanced as we are now. Pain is a part of life.


umm... Is apart of advancing is to lower or get rid of pain along with enhancing pleasure and what not?


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## Icealote (Apr 19, 2012)

The side effect I can see in this pill is something like Alzheimer's disease or the reverse effect (making the person remember more vividly).

I don't believe the human mind or brain can be completely wiped or even suppressed such memories. We just have the tendenacy to want to remember stuff again even when we don't want to. At the extreme, that person who takes that pill and the effects of it is successful, the environment they live in, the people they live with, are going to remind them one way or another. Even having to remember it, that person will naturally deny it (making it worse), empathise (possibly triggering the memory again) or sympathising (understanding what happened and possibly feeling guilty not remembering it at all).

It's a stupid idea.


EDIT: Plus don't men have this already? We call it having selecting memory ahha


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## shakirmoledina (Apr 19, 2012)

is it erasing or blocking? there is definitely a difference. i doubt u can erase memory.


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## notmeanymore (Apr 19, 2012)

Now. Do it in reverse.

Gimme a history pill for my exams.


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## Ericthegreat (Apr 19, 2012)

Side Effects: Temporary loss of memory, Anxiety, Depression

See your doctor if these rare but serious side effects occur: Toughts of suicide, Night Terrors, Permanent Memory loss, Death


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## FireGrey (Apr 19, 2012)

I would like to erase the Vita from my head.
(Yes I went there)

Anyway with this pill you wouldn't be able to choose what memory you want erased.
I would rather a big machine with a built in touch screen which lets you add and delete things from your brain, maybe even defrag it so then it reads/writes faster


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## Foxi4 (Apr 19, 2012)

Every memory, even a painful one, is experience. It's been proven time and time again that people learn best from their own mistakes and sometimes a horrible memory is the only thing that keeps us from making the same mistake over and over again. People don't need Forget-About-It pills - the brain already has a repression system for overly drastic memories. In fact, psychoanalysis has been striving to uncover memories that were repressed. People who cannot cope with negative memories require professional help, not something that will help them forget.

I can see how this kind of a pill could be beneficial in extreme cases, such as pedophilia victims whose memories could shatter their further development, but then we have to consider that it's a two-edged sword - someone could commit a crime like this and use the pill to cover his tracks.

It would obviously be a particularily interesting intention and definitelly proof that we know more and more about how the brain works, but when you think about it, it's also somewhat scary, dangerous even.


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## DSGamer64 (Apr 19, 2012)

Should slip this into the water of every person who works for Activision and Microsoft, so we don't have more rehashes of Halo and COD


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## Skelletonike (Apr 19, 2012)

I've had my fair share of painful experiences, hell, my whole childhood wasn't easy, so this pill that's meant to forget painful experiences would just erase what I went through all those years? Hell, that'd make me a different person and not who I am, suffering and getting depressed is part of human nature, it's what makes you human.. If something crappy happens in your life, and you just take a pill to forget it, then you'll never grow up and learn.
This is the most useless thing, in some extreme cases (like [censored], for example), I accept this, however, anything that isn't extreme and just makes you emo for a while, people just better learn to suck it up... I hope this pill is just an experiment on how they can deal with the memory factor of the brain, otherwise, they should just use the resources to find a cure for aids or whatever... Something actually useful.


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## Satangel (Apr 19, 2012)

You know, I would really really like this to make me forget everything about a great great series, like Harry Potter or Prison Break or so. That way I can rejoice the series as much as I want, with the twists and emotions that I had the first time I experienced them.
THAT is something I want!

But seeing this is just for traumatic experiences, I think it won't work for this goal?


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## DinohScene (Apr 19, 2012)

Janthran said:


> DinohScene said:
> 
> 
> > Janthran said:
> ...



Good thing!

Glad that you've left it for good ;D


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## Ultymoo (Apr 19, 2012)

Do I want to remove bad memories? No. Do I want to remove really bad and potentially self-detrimental or damaging memories? Definitely.

I'd also be for it if I didn't see government or criminals abusing it immediately. Exactly what would it remove? The bad feelings associated with those memories, or the account altogether? I don't think something like that should be able to be acquired by... oh, say, rapists and the like.


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## DarkShinigami (Apr 19, 2012)

i would not because its all your bad decisions that lead up to who you are.  if i were to get rid of these bad decisions i would not be me anymore.


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## ProtoKun7 (Apr 19, 2012)

Hmm...

What if learning to speak were a painful experience?


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## megawalk (Apr 19, 2012)

Erasing memories is just bad, VERY BAD, this research litterally made me so furious, it's like playing for god. not only that, but i wouldn't want anyone's painful memories erased among my friends and family, heck, i even WANT to suffer, i want to engulf in pain to get out of it. because, from painful memories you'll change, and if you are prone to good changes like how i did, then you know this.


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## KingVamp (Apr 19, 2012)

Because every mistake and pain you or someone else cause you is %100 to shape who you are now?
Do you think erasing one mistake from like 10-15 years ago will have that much of a impact to change who you are?


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## Foxi4 (Apr 19, 2012)

KingVamp said:


> Because every mistake and pain you or someone else cause you is %100 to shape who you are now?


Every single experience in your life contributes to who you are, especially experiences from childhood. Removing a memory will leave a void behind.

Think of amnesia patients - no matter who they were before amnesia struck, their personalities become altered proportionally to how much memory they've lost.


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## Skelletonike (Apr 19, 2012)

KingVamp said:


> Because every mistake and pain you or someone else cause you is %100 to shape who you are now?
> Do you think erasing one mistake from like 10-15 years ago will have that much of a impact to change who you are?


Actually, it would have an impact... Believe it or not, a lot of things change you for life without you realising it, the brain isn't such an easy thing to manipulate, it's not like on a computer where all you need to do is find some files and erase them. Memories and personality are interwined, if you erase part of your memories, you'll erase part of who you are, especially the painful ones, there's a reason why you don't forget them, and it's a God damn good reason: they change you.

Edit: I was ninja'd. >.


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## Dingoo-fan 32 (Apr 19, 2012)

I'd rather erase some of my shameful memories, like the birthday party of my cousin when I was 7 years old -.- ...


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## Foxi4 (Apr 20, 2012)

Dingoo-fan 32 said:


> I'd rather erase some of my shameful memories, like the birthday party of my cousin when I was 7 years old -.- ...





Spoiler












Yes, I had to post it, sue me.


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## MasterPenguin (Apr 20, 2012)

It's meant for people who have gone through extreme things, i.e [censored]. Having been raped is a terrible experience, you don't want to remember it, and people are haunted by it for years. It's going to make their life way better without that memory. It's not meant for when your cat dies or something and you're sad, don't be an idiot.


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## nando (Apr 20, 2012)

MasterPenguin said:


> It's meant for people who have gone through extreme things, i.e [censored]. Having been raped is a terrible experience, you don't want to remember it, and people are haunted by it for years. It's going to make their life way better without that memory. It's not meant for when your cat dies or something and you're sad, don't be an idiot.




so are they also going to erase the memories of everyone that knows about it to? because it would really bother me if i had the feeling that everyone was hiding something from me like the fact that i got raped. not that i did, but you get my point. eventually you would find out again.


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## Foxi4 (Apr 20, 2012)

nando said:


> so are they also going to erase the memories of everyone that knows about it to? because it would really bother me if i had the feeling that everyone was hiding something from me like the fact that i got raped. not that i did, but you get my point. eventually you would find out again.


It's a different kind of trauma when you cannot remember or even recall what actually happened - you're bothered by the fact that you can't remember rather than by the negative experience itself. There's quite a difference in the degree of unpleasantness between "being raped and reliving the experience in nightmares" and "finding out that you were raped at some point in your life and have no recollection of it whatsoever". I see your point though.


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## Gahars (Apr 20, 2012)

nando said:


> MasterPenguin said:
> 
> 
> > It's meant for people who have gone through extreme things, i.e [censored]. Having been raped is a terrible experience, you don't want to remember it, and people are haunted by it for years. It's going to make their life way better without that memory. It's not meant for when your cat dies or something and you're sad, don't be an idiot.
> ...



Better to find out secondhand (though I imagine that a person wouldn't destroy the knowledge that they were raped, just the vivid memories of it happening) than to constantly relive the moment.


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## rich333 (Apr 20, 2012)

i would erase my memory of super mario world & write myself a note to play it!

I personally would never trust that it could work that accurately. You'd never know what other memories would be erased, because you wouldn't remember!
You gotta take the good with the bad, all the events of our lives shape who we are & how we think. Not to mention the horrible things people would do to eachother (because they know they can  get away with it). Trust would be a much less common thing in the world. These pills would bring out even more of the evil within humanity.


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## FAST6191 (Apr 20, 2012)

Thesolcity said:


> No, I don't like things messing with my brain. Lest you want certain games coming to life.



Not sure it works in text and I can not be bothered to type out one of the ones that I know does but "Silk silk silk"- what do cows drink? 
Name a vegetable


Spoiler



carrot?




Beyond that pretty much everything messes with your brain, granted some chemicals are a bit more effective than other things or should I head down the what is the limit (caffeine?). Beyond that the human memory and related systems are junk- ask anyone that deals with witnesses or indeed any magician or security type or actually I could continue this list of professions that are made based on how terrible human perception is and thus how the world is remembered for several more paragraphs so I will stop after saying hell such techniques are used to help people. Basically it is not really a clear cut thing and very rarely is stuff like this.

I am curious though for as much as people are enjoying discussing the pure blue sky approach (others have hinted at the various types of memory* but I see no need to do more than note it at this point in the discussion) the lesser effect of rendering the memory somewhat less poignant would be far more useful for my money (mdma (ecstasy) already having a variation on this done as part of grief counselling). A secondary thing might be nice for some of the people afflicted with dementia- seen a few people with short term memory issues not have a good time after someone close to them kicked the bucket.

*quite in fact when meeting people that returned to real world sporting a fancy so called thousand yard stare some of the things that have gone into procedural memory (hint don't go anywhere where some kid is waving a laser pen around).

I also have to wonder how well it could be combined with things to break chemical addiction and not necessarily by "erasing the bad memory" as the underlying science looks quite similar to some of the stuff I see in that area of research.



TehSkull said:


> Now. Do it in reverse.
> 
> Gimme a history pill for my exams.



Several people take some of the fairly potent attention deficit and similar drugs in an attempt to facilitate better exam results.


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## Narayan (Apr 20, 2012)

this be a good pill against spoilers.


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## notmeanymore (Apr 20, 2012)

FAST6191 said:


> TehSkull said:
> 
> 
> > Now. Do it in reverse.
> ...


Nah, I'm talking like, give me a pill, suddenly I know stuff I didn't before.


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## gumgod (Apr 20, 2012)

I see this being abused by governments Men in Black style.


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## Guild McCommunist (Apr 20, 2012)

gumgod said:


> I see this being abused by governments Men in Black style.



Perhaps in the dystopian future of Neverland. Don't bet on this.

But the way I'm seeing this, it's a rather neat and potentially useful pill. Imagine all the painful, PTSD inducing memories of people across the world just gone. Considering people consider PTSD to be, currently, "uncurable", as is any disorder brought by traumatic events, this is a medical breakthrough.

On a more lighthearted note, it can help games be a lot more replayable or make you forget playing Dragon Age 2 the bad games.


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