We all have one of those. You know, that memory that makes you cringe every single time that it comes up. Sometimes it's an embarrassing childhood moment, other times it's something that you did as an adult that makes you feel like you're a terrible human being (that's not just me, right?).
Well, now science is saying that you might actually be able to get rid of those painful memories for good. The question is: Would you actually want to forget your most painful memories?
Read more ¿Que Mas? Are women happier than men?
Memory research Malcolm MacLeod did this experiment about whether people "might be able to improve their ability to forget embarrassing or traumatizing personal memories" and teamed up with co-researcher Saima Noreen to find out if "intentional forgetting" could actually work, according to Jezebel.com.
Well, it turns out, you kind of can! They ended up finding that a large number of their test subjects actually could experience a "significant forgetting effect" after they tried really hard to "disassociate certain memories over a period of time." It all sounds a little creepy to me, though. I mean, actively working to forget something that you experienced? Is that REALLY a good idea?
To connect with moms like you, "Like" our Mamás Latinas Facebook page!
I know that nobody really wants to have those painful and traumatic experiences, but aren't those the kind of experiences actually the ones that we grow from? One of their findings showed that people simply stopped associating the painful emotions with the memory itself. I can see how that's a little helpful, but isn't that the same thing as "time heals all wounds"? I definitely don't think I want to forget the things that hurt. I mean, yes, they hurt, but they were also experiences that I learned and grew from–and that's worth all of the painful trauma in the world. Unless you have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), of course.
Would you want to forget your bad memories? Share with us in the comments below!
Image via Thinkstock
