There is even a False Memory Syndrome Foundation dedicated solely to advocating that recovered memories of incest are fake. The Australian Psychological Association also believes that recovered memories cannot be authenticated. The British Psychological Society has stated that when lead or pressured by a therapist, patients can “recover” memories that never happened. The American Medical Association has taken the stance that repressed memories are of “uncertain authenticity.” The American Psychiatric Association states that one cannot possibly distinguish between a “memory” that actually happened and one that did not. For example, one study published in the journal Psychological Science showed that women who had reported having repressed memories were 40 percent more likely to remember things that never happened (the study involved recalling groups of words). Debating the Legitimacy of Repressed Memoriesįar more studies exist that show the concept of repressing memories is false. In other words, repressed memories can’t be real because there is no record of them before Freud. Because of this, scientists feel that once the idea was “hatched” by Freud, the public absorbed it and suddenly repressed memories were cropping up everywhere. While the rate of memory repression is unknown, one interesting study found that there are no known incidences of repressed memories in any work of fiction or non-fiction before Freud introduced his theory. That is why so many scientists doubt the ability of the brain to genuinely block out a significant memory. Freud’s concept was developed based on patients he had worked with, not on scientific studies. Freud advocated that the brain repressed traumatic memories automatically and that it was not done intentionally by will or by choice. In the late 1800s, pioneer psychologist Sigmund Freud introduced the concept of repressed memories to the public. Freud Introduces the Concept of Repressed Memories Ultimately, how common repressed memories are is unknown. Another source expressed that half of all incest victims have no recollection of the incestuous activity. Other studies, which also had questionable methodologies, confirm this number. The Williams study, one of the most prominent studies on this topic, showed 12 percent of victims repressed the traumatic memories however, there were numerous flaws in the methodology of this study. A handful of studies have been done with questionable results. While childhood sexual abuse effects anywhere from one-third to one-fourth of the population, little is known about how many of those survivors repress their memories. Freda spent the next few days going over and over the rape in her mind, searching for more lost fragments and details so she could put all the puzzle pieces together.

She forgot where she was and suddenly was gasping for air. She saw flashes of the rape and stopped dead in her tracks. All of a sudden, she saw in her mind the old neighbor’s tool shed. She walked past the row of model tool sheds in the parking lot. Fifteen years later, Freda was walking through a large franchise hardware store. It was just too embarrassing to say out loud.

She never told anyone about what happened. An All-Too-Common Storyįreda was six years old when her neighbor raped her behind the tool shed in his backyard. Is it really possible for the brain to block out traumatic memories? If so, how is it possible? Psychologists and experts in the addiction and recovery arena seem to be more accepting that repressed memories are legitimate, while scientists as a group don’t seem to be convinced.

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Repressed memories