Will we be able to selectively erase memories in the future?

The idea of ​​selectively erasing memories has been a recurring theme in science fiction, from films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to books that explore the power of memory in our lives. However, could this technology become a scientific reality? Advances in neuroscience are bringing us closer to the possibility of precisely manipulating memories, but this perspective raises scientific, ethical and philosophical questions.

How are memories formed and stored?

To understand how to delete memories, it is crucial to know how they are formed and stored:

1. Coding: When we experience something, the brain encodes this information into neural connections.
2. Consolidation: Memories are strengthened through processes such as repetition and dreaming. This makes them long-term memories stored primarily in the hippocampus and cortex.
3. Recovery: Evoking a memory reactivates these connections.

Is it possible to erase memories? The current state of science

Selectively deleting memories is no longer just a fantasy. Several studies have shown promising progress:

1. Propranolol therapy

Propranolol, a beta blocker, has been investigated as a means of dulling traumatic memories. By administering it soon after a traumatic event, it can reduce the emotional intensity associated with the memory. This does not erase the memory, but it lessens its impact.

2. Laser manipulation and optogenetics

In 2014, MIT scientists managed to erase specific memories in mice using optogenetics techniques. This method involves using light to activate or deactivate neurons related to a specific memory.

3. Gene editing with CRISPR

It has been proposed that gene editing could alter key proteins involved in memory formation, such as PKMζ, which plays a role in memory persistence.

4. Deep brain stimulation (DBS)

In patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), targeted brain stimulation could disrupt specific neural circuits and modify the way traumatic memories are processed.

Why would we want to erase memories?

The potential applications of this technology are varied, but also controversial:

• Trauma and post-traumatic stress: Help those who have suffered traumatic events overcome the psychological impact.
• Phobias and addictions: Eliminate memories associated with negative stimuli or addictive behaviors.
• Personal improvement: Leave behind painful memories that hinder emotional well-being.

However, memory also plays a fundamental role in identity and learning, making its manipulation a double-edged sword.

Ethical and philosophical challenges

The possibility of erasing memories raises profound questions:

• What defines our identity? Our memories are an essential part of who we are. Would deleting memories alter our personality?
• Who decides what to delete? Will it be up to the individual, or could governments and companies abuse this technology?
• Unintended consequences: Deleting a memory could affect other emotionally or contextually connected events, altering broader neural networks.

How long until this technology?

Although advances are promising, we are still far from a safe and reliable technology for erasing memories in humans. Current experiments focus on animals and very specific cases of humans with serious pathologies.

Decades of additional research will be needed to ensure the methods are accurate, reversible and ethically acceptable.