Repressed Memories Essay

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Repressed Memory
PSYC:1504 Introduction to Psychology
UoPeople
Memory is a complex issue and more elusive than many people realize. Most people believe that if they can remember an event clearly that it must be true. The truth is that memory is extremely fragile, and it can be easy for a person’s mind to invent memories or to have false memories implanted. This can lead to people being able to convincingly recall events that never happened. (University of St Andrews, 2008)
Research has shown that false memories can be so powerful that they actually effect a person’s behavior. In one experiment researchers suggested to participants that they had become ill after eating an egg salad as a child. A significant minority of participants believed …show more content…

The concept of repressed memories is based on the theory that children, in particular, may dissociate themselves from a memory in order to protect themselves from the pain. (Ehrenfeld, 2015)
While there is evidence that people may have repressed memories, it is also likely that this phenomena is extremely rare, although further research is needed in order to better understand when and why this may occur, as well as appropriate clinical techniques to aid in treatment. (American Psychological Association, 2017)
It is certainly clear that in cases of repressed memory, even if it is unclear as to the truth of these memories, it is still haunting for those involved. One such case involves Holly Ramona who falsely believed that her father had abused her as a child.
Holly Ramona was receiving therapy for bulimia and depression and then began to have flashbacks of being raped by her father, Gary Ramona, and in therapy where she received the drug sodium amytal and therapy to assist her to recover her repressed memories. (La Ganga, 1994) This drug is known colloquially as truth serum, but it is more commonly used as a sedative. Sodium amytal is now known to cause false memories to develop. (Orwig,

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