According to a Dutch study reported in the journal Nature Neuroscience in early 2009, scientists could be one step closer to creating a pill which would erase bad memories. The basis for this study stems from studies carried out on animals where it has been found that fear memories can be changed when recalled, in a process referred to as reconsolidation. Consequently, when a certain painful memory is recalled it could be ‘reprogrammed’ or ‘reconfigured’, put back into storage so that the next time the memory is recalled it is less painful.  Further details of the study can be on the BBC News Online website and a brief abstract can be read on the paper published in Nature.

If this study by the Dutch team promises a way of providing assistance and care to those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) I doubt very many people will be critical of it. However, if the findings are considered as a sign post pointing to where this could take us into the future, significant ethical and social concerns will undoubtedly come to the fore.

The spotless mind: ethical & social concerns for the future

In the 2004 movie, Eternal Sunshine Of the Spotless Mind, characters Joel Barish (played by Jim Carrey) and Clementine Kruczynski (played by Kate Winslet) meet each other in New York and subsequently fall in love. However, two years into their relationship, they fall out of love for each other. Clementine discovers the services of Lacuna, Inc., a firm that claims to be able to erase all specific memories from a person’s mind. Clementine opts to have Lacuna erase Joel from her mind, handing over all of her possessions relating to their romance. How likely is it that this could be reality?

Identity

First, there are concerns over whether or not possessing the ability to change our memories will effect who we are. How much do our memories shape who we are? How much is our identity influenced and shaped by our memories? By changing the memories we possess we risk changing who we think we are, what we have done in life and what we wish to achieve in the future in relation to the past.

The rebuttal to such an argument is that identity and memory is far more fluid than what we first think. We all at some stage forget certain details, whether it’s the name of the long lost school friend or where we have left the car keys. For those of us who are particularly prone to forgetfulness, there still remains a degree of identity stability. Dr. Anders Sandberg of the Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford, argues that we do not remember how things actually were, but rather reconstruct events based on current emotions, knowledge and personality. It would appear that many of our reminiscences are not that truthful even when we think they are. Research seemingly demonstrates that it is surprisingly easy to induce false memories, even of extreme events, and that this may occur accidentally. Thus, rather than see the possibility of memory erasing as something to be feared, it could be viewed as simply something which we already do and thus something to assist us in what transhumanists perceive as our natural, human evolutionary process.   

 

Photoshop editing?

Moulding and reshaping identity therefore appears to be something that we already do. Just stop and think of those we aspire to be like, to emulate, and to learn from as they bravely overcome trials, failures and disappointments to become a better person. Surely this very act points to a form of identity reshaping?  But is it not through the process of overcoming the obstacle – whatever that may be – that the person’s identity is changed and not just a ‘Photoshop’ style edit? Moreover, certain memories of the past help to explicitly and implicitly shape and form our response to similar situation we face in the future. If memories became something we edit and remove could we rob ourselves of valuable opportunities from which we learn how to react in the future? Rather like having a library from which books are removed and never replaced, our reference material would be greatly diminished.

 

Wider social context

Turning to a wider social context, memories and experience are clearly not forged in isolation but in relationship with others. What would be the implications of memory eradication be on those around us? In the case of the serial rape killer and his victim, being able to edit her memory so that her memory of the experience is less horrific would no doubt be welcomed by both the victim and those around her who love her. However, the implication may well be that in the case of the victim she would not see the need to extend forgiveness to her attacker – what has he done to me?

Alternatively, she may extend forgiveness but too far easily. Would it be true forgiveness if she is unable to comprehend the extent and severity of the crime? Forgiveness involves feeling and emotion in order to overcome the indignation we feel in order to do what we feel is morally right. Likewise her attacker may develop a distinct lack of appreciation for the severity of the crime that he has committed. Far from creating a better society, memory editing could lead us into a society lacking remorse and a clear understanding of what is right and wrong, the implications of which may be the deterioration of truth within the public square.

Correct application

Correctly applying the use of memory modifying technologies (MMTs) clearly necessitates a full understanding of the role of memories in a person’s life. Rather than put forward broad generalisations on this role, it needs to be assessed on the needs of each individual.  Much like other enhancement technologies, the application of what some have termed value rationality (what is the good life?) needs to be applied for each individual and the role of memory in that individual. Memory for a rape victim will clearly be more poignant than for the person who has unpleasant memories of being forced to eat brussels sprouts as a child.

There is scope for these technologies to help enrich our lives further by clarifying the memories which make us who we really are or helping to ease the pain of episodes of extreme trauma.  It is these questions related to memory and truth which will require further and wider discussion before the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind becomes a reality.