---
title: "Memory erasure"
chunk: 1/3
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_erasure"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:23:40.242517+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

Memory erasure is the selective artificial removal of memories or associations from the mind. Memory erasure has been shown to be possible in some experimental conditions; some of the techniques currently being investigated are, drug-induced amnesia, selective memory suppression, destruction of neurons, interruption of memory, memory reconsolidation, and the disruption of specific molecular mechanisms.
There are many reasons that research is being done on the selective removal of memories. Potential patients for this research include patients with psychiatric disorders such as post traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder, among others.
Memory erasure is also featured in numerous works of fiction, with fictional methods and properties that do not necessarily correspond with scientific reality.

== Recent history ==
Research focused on gaining a better understanding of what memories are has been going on for many years, in this way so has research in memory erasure. The basis for the recent history for memory erasure has been focused on determining how the brain actively keeps memories stored and retrieves them. There have been several instances where researchers found drugs that when applied to certain areas of the brain, usually the amygdala, have relative success in being able to erase some memories. As early as 2009 researchers were able to trace and destroy neurons involved in supporting the specific type of memory that they were trying to erase. These neurons were targeted by using replication-defective herpes simplex virus (HSV) to increase cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CREB) in them. As a result, the neurons were activated in fear memory or testing far more often in both wild-type and CREB-deficient mice. For the study, transgenic mice were used that allowed use of diphtheria toxin to preferentially target cells that were overexpressing CREB, since these were the cells more likely  involved with fear memories. This caused the erasure of the target memory but allowed the mice to still form new fear memories which confirmed the cells were involved only in storing fear memories and not forming them.
Aside from the biotechnology approach to studying memory, research in psychiatry on how memories work has also been going on for several years. There have been some studies that show that some behavioral therapy can erase bad memories. There has been some evidence that psychodynamic therapy and other energy techniques can help with forgetting memories among other psychiatric issues there is no proven therapeutic approach for trying to erase bad memories.

== Potential patients ==
There are several different types of possible patients that have the potential to draw great benefit from the selective memory erasure; these include people with drug addiction, or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD patients may include war veterans, people who witnessed horrific events, victims of violent crimes and many other possibly traumatic events. These potential patients have unwanted memories that can be absolutely devastating to their daily lives and cause them to not be able to function properly.
Research continues, and in 2020, researchers were looking at potential new approaches to PTSD treatment.

== Different types of memories ==
There are three main types of memories: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memory, in short, is the ability to hold sensory information for a short period of time, for example, looking at an object and being able to remember what it looked like moments after. Short-term memory is memory that allows a person to recall a short period of time; this can be a few seconds to a minute. Short-term memory allows people to remember what happened during that short time span without actually practicing the memory. Long-term memory has a much larger capacity than the prior two and actually stores information from both these types of memories to create a long lasting and large memory. Long-term memory is the largest target for research involving selective memory erasure.
Within long-term memory there are several types of retention.  Implicit memory (or 'muscle memory') is generally described as the ability to remember how to use objects or specific movements of the body (e.g. using a hammer). Explicit memory, (or 'declarative memory') is that which can be consciously drawn upon by a person to remember. 
Explicit memory can be split into further subcategories; episodic memory, which is the memory of specific events and the information surrounding it, and semantic memory, which is the ability to remember factual information (e.g. what numbers mean).
A type of memory of main concern for memory erasure are emotional memories. These memories often involve several different aspects of information in them that can come from a variety of the different categories of memories mentioned above. These emotional memories are powerful memories that can elicit strong physiological effects on a person. An example of an emotional memory can be found in patients with PTSD, for these patients a traumatic event has left a lasting emotional memory that can have powerful effects on a person even without them consciously retrieving the memory.

== Current research ==

=== Drug-induced amnesia ===
Drug-induced amnesia is the idea of selectively losing or inhibiting the creation of memories using drugs. Amnesia can be used as a treatment for patients who have experienced psychological trauma or for medical procedures where full anesthesia is not an option. Drug-induced amnesia is also a side-effect of other drugs like alcohol and rohypnol.
There are other drugs that also can cause their users to be put in an amnesic state, where they experience some type of amnesia because of their use. Examples of these drugs include Triazolam, Midazolam and Diazepam.