Selective Memory Deletion Device

[goobernoob]

No, bad memories are just as important as good ones, they remind you not to repeat past mistakes.

[Windfury]

I would be all over that. Can easily think of a few things I'd like to just say goodbye to forever.

[This name sucks]

I'd like to forget grades 4-10, but then I'd probably need to relearn math or something. So its a wash I guess.

[manybadgers]

But what if a memory is linked to another one. Someone said forgetting something that happened at the age of grade school so he/she will be forgetting also material learned in school. It could be very dangerous, what if you forget how to talk because it was linked to the desired memory to erase. O_O but yeah I would use it :P if it was safe to use.

edit: haha that someone is above me I read a bunch of posts and mixed the order

[Powerogue]

goodbye, select traumatic memories (heck, delete the right ones, I might just cure my phobia of needles). Keep everything else, my memory is awful enough already.

If there was any risk it could damage my other memories though, no chance. Nothing yet would be worth that.

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

But what if a memory is linked to another one. Someone said forgetting something that happened at the age of grade school so he/she will be forgetting also material learned in school. It could be very dangerous, what if you forget how to talk because it was linked to the desired memory to erase. O_O but yeah I would use it :P if it was safe to use.

edit: haha that someone is above me I read a bunch of posts and mixed the order

Except the device I spoke of would not have that effect.

No, bad memories are just as important as good ones, they remind you not to repeat past mistakes.

With what I mentioned, you could keep the knowledge of X being a mistake without having to keep the memory of X itself.

I'd like to forget grades 4-10, but then I'd probably need to relearn math or something. So its a wash I guess.

Except that isn't how the device I mentioned would work. Also, I've forgotten the vast majority of my time at school and I can still do math. Acquired skills aren't linked to memories or amnesiacs would need to learn how to walk and do math all over again.

[ghostkitteh]

Imagine a device that would allow you to selectively delete specific memories and specific stuff associated with the memories from your mind. For example, say you went to a restaurant. You could choose to delete the entire experience, or you could delete your memory of the taste of the food, or how happy or sad you felt during it, etc.

Would you use the device? If so, for what?

As much as I'd love to use it, I wouldn't be able to let myself. If I did, I'd end up deleting a pretty large majority of my memories, which would probably cause some issues.

[Auloria]

For people with painful memories, it is probably more important to remove the bad feelings associated with the memory, rather than the memory itself.

I'm not a fan of information loss, in general.

[This name sucks]

After thinking about this for a while I'd probably make myself some kind of sealed diary or encrypted text that was cumbersome and took a long time to open and record all my memories that I intended to delete first. So after I brainwash myself if I ever decided I wanted to be "whole" again I could if I really wanted to.

Point of the delay to decrypt my written down memories is to make sure I have plenty of time to think it over before I jumped the gun or something.

[Rizendragon]

nope. no way.

Nah, memories define an individual.

This right here. Besides, I'd be too worried the Gov't wouldn't abuse such a device.