This book was recommended to me by my therapist when I was struggling to believe and accept my history. It deals primarily with memory: how things are set into long-term memory, memory recovery, "forgetting", and other coping mechanisms like dissociation and splitting. It helped me understand the process of remembering, the choice of "forgetting", and (my) survival technique of dissociation. Fairly clinical and academic, it is still a relatively easy read (in small bits). The author incorporates a number of real-life examples.

This book is probably the one which first drew the attention of FMS groups to the author because it discusses memory retrieval/recovered memory. Largely due to the FMS contingent, it has been viewed as somewhat controversial; nonetheless, the author of this book has been regularly called as an expert witness in the field of memory.

This is an excellent book for understanding the "hows" and the "whys"; it helped me understand the reality that even very young children can remember much. What seemed to me on the surface to be impossible has, in fact, been well researched and well documented here.

Some quotes which impacted me:

".....certain very important feelings--even entire experiences--can be banished from consciousness only to influence attitudes and behavior, and even be reclaimed as full memories at some other time..." p 4

"Children who go through a number of terrors protect themselves this way. They are able to muster massive defensives against remembering, because this is the only way they can get through a frightening childhood." p 12

"A myriad of details and a few mistakes are not mutually exclusive. Memory may be both "right" and "wrong" at the same time. Parts are correct, other parts incorrect." p 27

"Anticipation encourages defensive memory loss. A little girl, for instance, can actually plan how she will remove her anticipated agonies from mind. After a while, no conscious deliberation is necessary. Everything is automatic." p 40

Memory does not go bad or vague just because it is repressed. And traumatic memories, in particular, do not deteriorate much at all. Nor do the memories of the oppsoite of trauma--extremely high moments from childhood. Both kinds of memories stay more alive than other kinds of memories. p 40

Retrieval, in may ways, is far more quirky and unpredictable than is perception or memory storage. If one is alert, one can put into short-term memory a good amount of what one perceives. Considerable short-term memory is then transferred to long-term stores. Our capacity for storage of memory is almost limitless. But retrieval can be unconsciously defended against by a number of psychological maneuvers. Important memories are often lost to consiousness, especially if they are both terrifying and repeated. If the memories are already primed and active, retrieval may become easy. But if the memories are heavily defended, barely a trace of them amy show. p 51

Can traumatic stories be suggested? Yes, a story can be suggested. But it won't usually create a cluster of symptoms and signs. p 55

A person who uses considerable dissociation does not link up thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. Frequently there is an alteration in the state of consciousness. Such people may forget or ignore pain. They may forget or ignore parts of theri own bodies. They may forget or ignore their own personal history. They may forget or ignore themselves altogether. p 69

Learning is the modification of behavior by experience. And memory is the retention of that experience over time. Even the simple behavior of a simple animal activates many nerve cells and many connections to other cells. Modified and retained behavior is embedded in neural circuitry, no matter how simple the animal. Memory involves a lasting change in the relationship between cells. p 101

On the micro level, memory actually causes growth in the nervous system. Perhaps someday we will be able to prove that psychotherapy does the same. Recent research in cell biology demonstrates that when neuronal genes are turned on in the process of handling long-term memory, the brain actually grows. p 108

Sage

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