Think, Remember, Rinse, Repeat

Every now and then, you might be asked "who are you?" Seems like a simple question. This is my name, my gender, my age, general likes and dislikes. There. I just filled a basic Facebook profile. 

But we know that there is a more in depth answer about your identity. I personally believe your experiences and memories make up a large part of who you are. Of course, it's not exactly unique or revolutionary, but it's what I think. 

Another not-so-new idea is the prospect of being able to erase memory. While the natural method of denial is suitable for some, many neurologists have been researching a more efficient method of memory erasure. The more fantastical version of this is "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." That movie sort of sparked a debate about the possibilities of wiping memories from the human brain and a recent New York Times article revealed research is almost there. 

It comes down to controlling this little guy. Let me introduce you to PKMzeta.

 It helps strengthen your memories, acting as sort of a glue to help you keep and support your memories in your brain. PKMzeta's new enemy? A drug simply called ZIP. When you inject ZIP right into the brain, stripping away PKMzeta from memories so that the brain forgets habits and strong thoughts. ZIP has only been testing in animals so far, making rats forget "strong disgusts" which were developed up to three months prior. So its safe to say that ZIP is pretty potent stuff.

The next logical thought is what can we do with this stuff? How far can we go? But my initial reaction is how necessary is this all? I understand that this type of research might help people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or those fighting addiction. Believe me, I think those are great potential advancements in science.

But its only a matter of time until ZIP or a form of it is abused. Many might try to get this treatment in the future as a method to erase memories that aren't crippling, like going to war, but just uncomfortable ones. The type of memories people for centuries have had to deal with. While living a life free of worry and pain seems appealing, what are you really learning or experiencing? While I'm not entirely sure if everything happens for a reason, or even if the things we learn from terrible experiences are completely equal in weight, I know we are who we are because we remember. 

I don't think I'm ready to give up my memories, even the worst ones. I want my identity to be imperfect, full of flaws, and raw. Not a diluted shell of who I could be.