Memory suppression: Difference between revisions

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#'''Complete long-term memory suppression''' - At the highest level, this effect is the complete and persistent failure of both a person's long and short-term memory. It can be described as the experience of becoming completely incapable of remembering even the most basic fundamental concepts stored within the person's long-term memory. This includes everything from their name, hometown, past memories, the awareness of being on drugs, what drugs even are, what human beings are, what life is, that time exists, what anything is, or that anything exists. <p>Memory suppression of this level blocks all mental associations, attached meaning, acquired preferences, and value judgements one may have towards the external world. Sufficiently intense memory loss is also associated with the loss of a sense of self, in which one is no longer aware of their own existence. In this state, the user is unable to recall all learned conceptual knowledge about themselves and the external world, and no longer experiences the sensation of being a separate observer in an external world. This experience is commonly referred to as "ego death".

Memory suppression is often accompanied by other coinciding effects such as [[thought loops]], [[personal bias suppression]], [[amnesia]], and [[delusions]]. It is most commonly induced under the influence of [[dosage#common|moderate]] [[dosage|dosages]] of [[hallucinogen|hallucinogenic]] compounds, such as [[psychedelic|psychedelics]], [[dissociative|dissociatives]], and [[deliriant|deliriants]].<ref name="VollenweiderGeyer2001">{{cite journal|last1=Vollenweider|first1=Franz X|last2=Geyer|first2=Mark A|title=A systems model of altered consciousness: integrating natural and drug-induced psychoses|journal=Brain Research Bulletin|volume=56|issue=5|year=2001|pages=495–507|issn=03619230|doi=10.1016/S0361-9230(01)00646-3}}</ref>

It is worth noting that although memory suppression is vaguely similar in its effects to [[amnesia]], it differs in that it directly suppresses one's usage of their long or short term memory without inhibiting the person's ability to recall what happened during this experience afterward. In contrast, amnesia does not directly affect the usage of one's short or long-term memory during its experience but instead renders a person incapable of recalling events after it has worn off. A person experiencing memory suppression cannot access their existing memory, while a person with drug-induced amnesia cannot properly store new memories. As such, a person experiencing amnesia may not obviously appear to be doing so, as they can often carry on normal conversations and perform complex tasks. This is not the case with memory suppression.

It is worth noting that although memory suppression is vaguely similar in its effects to [[amnesia]], it differs in that it directly suppresses one's usage of their long or short term memory without inhibiting the person's ability to recall what happened during this experience afterward. In contrast, amnesia does not directly affect the usage of one's short or long-term memory during its experience but instead renders a person incapable of recalling events after it has worn off. A person experiencing memory suppression cannot access their existing memory, while a person with drug-induced amnesia cannot properly store new memories. As such, a person experiencing amnesia may not obviously appear to be doing so, as they can often carry on normal conversations and perform complex tasks. This is not the case with memory suppression.</onlyinclude>

===Ego ~~death~~===

===Ego dissolution===

The most significant aspect of complete long-term memory suppression (level 4) is the way in which it suppresses the ability to recall and comprehend conceptual information associated with one's sense of self-hood and identity. The experience of this is colloquially known as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_death ego death] and its occurrence is well documented throughout the modern [[psychonaut]] subculture. However, it is worth noting that this informal term of "ego death" or "ego dissolution" is also commonly used to refer to states of high level [[unity and interconnectedness]].<ref name="LebedevLövdén2015" /><ref name="NourEvans2016">{{cite journal|last1=Nour|first1=Matthew M.|last2=Evans|first2=Lisa|last3=Nutt|first3=David|last4=Carhart-Harris|first4=Robin L.|title=Ego-Dissolution and Psychedelics: Validation of the Ego-Dissolution Inventory (EDI)|journal=Frontiers in Human Neuroscience|volume=10|year=2016|issn=1662-5161|doi=10.3389/fnhum.2016.00269}}</ref>

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 #'''Complete long-term memory suppression''' - At the highest level, this effect is the complete and persistent failure of both a person's long and short-term memory. It can be described as the experience of becoming completely incapable of remembering even the most basic fundamental concepts stored within the person's long-term memory. This includes everything from their name, hometown, past memories, the awareness of being on drugs, what drugs even are, what human beings are, what life is, that time exists, what anything is, or that anything exists. <p>Memory suppression of this level blocks all mental associations, attached meaning, acquired preferences, and value judgements one may have towards the external world. Sufficiently intense memory loss is also associated with the loss of a sense of self, in which one is no longer aware of their own existence. In this state, the user is unable to recall all learned conceptual knowledge about themselves and the external world, and no longer experiences the sensation of being a separate observer in an external world. This experience is commonly referred to as "ego death".
 Memory suppression is often accompanied by other coinciding effects such as [[thought loops]], [[personal bias suppression]], [[amnesia]], and [[delusions]]. It is most commonly induced under the influence of [[dosage#common|moderate]] [[dosage|dosages]] of [[hallucinogen|hallucinogenic]] compounds, such as [[psychedelic|psychedelics]], [[dissociative|dissociatives]], and [[deliriant|deliriants]].<ref name="VollenweiderGeyer2001">{{cite journal|last1=Vollenweider|first1=Franz X|last2=Geyer|first2=Mark A|title=A systems model of altered consciousness: integrating natural and drug-induced psychoses|journal=Brain Research Bulletin|volume=56|issue=5|year=2001|pages=495–507|issn=03619230|doi=10.1016/S0361-9230(01)00646-3}}</ref>
-It is worth noting that although memory suppression is vaguely similar in its effects to [[amnesia]], it differs in that it directly suppresses one's usage of their long or short term memory without inhibiting the person's ability to recall what happened during this experience afterward. In contrast, amnesia does not directly affect the usage of one's short or long-term memory during its experience but instead renders a person incapable of recalling events after it has worn off. A person experiencing memory suppression cannot access their existing memory, while a person with drug-induced amnesia cannot properly store new memories. As such, a person experiencing amnesia may not obviously appear to be doing so, as they can often carry on normal conversations and perform complex tasks. This is not the case with memory suppression.
+It is worth noting that although memory suppression is vaguely similar in its effects to [[amnesia]], it differs in that it directly suppresses one's usage of their long or short term memory without inhibiting the person's ability to recall what happened during this experience afterward. In contrast, amnesia does not directly affect the usage of one's short or long-term memory during its experience but instead renders a person incapable of recalling events after it has worn off. A person experiencing memory suppression cannot access their existing memory, while a person with drug-induced amnesia cannot properly store new memories. As such, a person experiencing amnesia may not obviously appear to be doing so, as they can often carry on normal conversations and perform complex tasks. This is not the case with memory suppression.</onlyinclude>
-===Ego death===
+===Ego dissolution===
 The most significant aspect of complete long-term memory suppression (level 4) is the way in which it suppresses the ability to recall and comprehend conceptual information associated with one's sense of self-hood and identity. The experience of this is colloquially known as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_death ego death] and its occurrence is well documented throughout the modern [[psychonaut]] subculture. However, it is worth noting that this informal term of "ego death" or "ego dissolution" is also commonly used to refer to states of high level [[unity and interconnectedness]].<ref name="LebedevLövdén2015" /><ref name="NourEvans2016">{{cite journal|last1=Nour|first1=Matthew M.|last2=Evans|first2=Lisa|last3=Nutt|first3=David|last4=Carhart-Harris|first4=Robin L.|title=Ego-Dissolution and Psychedelics: Validation of the Ego-Dissolution Inventory (EDI)|journal=Frontiers in Human Neuroscience|volume=10|year=2016|issn=1662-5161|doi=10.3389/fnhum.2016.00269}}</ref>