Laurie Davison wrote on Dec. 11, 1996:
> What is the neural mechanism by which traumatic memories (such as
>childhood abuse, etc) are repressed? Since this has only been a
>recognized phenomenon for a short time, it may be that we still don't
>know, but I would appreciate your input nonetheless.
You should look at the book by Elisabeth Loftus, known internationally as
one of the leading experts on human memory and eyewitness testimony, called
"The Myth of Repressed Memory". There is no point in speculating about the
neural mechanisms underlying a phenomenon before there is agreement that it
even exists. Loftus' anectodes and her experimental evidence present a very
different picture from the media portrayals of repressed memories. They
also demonstrate that memory is not a set of file drawers into which items
can be locked away, and from which they can later be retrieved, but a
dynamic, synthetic process. Misconceptions about how memory works
contribute to the problems in this area.
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Benjamin Rusak, Professor Email: rusak at is.dal.ca
Psychiatry, Psychology and Pharmacology Phone/Fax: (902) 494-2159
Faculty of Science Killam Professor Fax: (902) 494-6585
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4J1
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