Repressed Memories Essay

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THE MEMORY WARS OF THE 90´S “The notion of repressed memories has sparked a great deal of controversy in the mental health field. This became especially heated during what became known as the “memory wars” of the 1990s” (Good Therapy, 2013). Repression must be one of the most obsessive and complicated concepts in psychology. When something shocking takes place and the mind pushes it into some inaccessible corner of the unconscious as a defense system. Maybe 10 or 20 years later, the memory may reappear. There has been a very important number of cases of childhood sexual abuse and murder that were supposedly repressed memories and were repressed for decades. Changes in legislation are allowing people with recently surfaced memories to sue alleged perpetrators for events that happened many years ago. All this these new developments give rise to several questions on the …show more content…

There are different opinions on the authenticity of repressed memories. Many innocent individuals were arrested and jailed. This fact produced a debate on how juries react to repressed memories. Trials are not always in search of a conviction for the felon, but many times are a validation for the victim or a source for devictimization. Although repression is one of the foundation stones on which the structure of psychoanalysis rests, repressed memories can be a product of suggestions. Hence, they are not always a valid testimony. This fact might also mean that a crime faces no conviction.
Repressed memories have been helpful to condemn crimes that were committed decades ago, but also have brought deep discrepancy to the table, as they have presented cases where parents are accused of unimaginable situations by their children, 20 or 30 year after. And many of these allegedly criminal parents were innocent. These can happen not because the person lies about the memory but because they honestly believe it happened.

WHEN DO REPRESSED MEMORIES SURFACE AND MY

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