Erasing Memory as Therapy

(Toronto, Ontario) Researchers at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children have successfully erased memories from the brains of mice. The specific memories removed are associated with fear derived from a horrific event such as a bomb detonation.

The process is apparently very sophisticated and involves injecting toxic viruses into neurons to kill them. Dead, the neurons don't remember a thing.

According to Dr. Michael Salter of the Neurosciences & Mental Health program at the Toronto hospital, the research could lead to help for people who suffer post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) by minimizing the association between memory and emotions.

He says the research may well conjure "Orwellian" notions of thought control, "but that's not really the goal of this. The idea would be (to use it) in a therapeutic way."

Okay. Too bad the definition of therapeutic is different for a doctor than it is for a government bureaucrat.

Sadly, with socialized medicine it doesn't require much imagination to foresee erasing memories becoming a government-controlled therapy and voters being required to take anti-fear pills when registering.

Furthermore, if government controlled people's memories, there would be no need for re-education camps to implement a socialist utopia. Anti-fear clinics would suffice.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.