Scientists Discover a Method to Weaken Negative Memories

Erasing bad memories and traumatic flashbacks could significantly advance treatments for various mental health conditions. Scientists have now identified a promising new approach: weakening negative memories by reactivating positive ones.

In a multi-day experiment, an international team of researchers tested this method with 37 participants. Initially, participants associated random words with negative images. The researchers then attempted to “reprogram” half of these associations, effectively interfering with the negative memories.

“We found that this procedure weakened the recall of aversive memories and also increased involuntary intrusions of positive memories,” the researchers explained in their published paper.

To conduct the study, the team used well-established image databases classified as either negative or positive. For example, negative images included depictions of human injuries and dangerous animals, while positive images featured serene landscapes and smiling children.

On the first evening, participants completed memory-training exercises designed to link negative images with nonsense words created specifically for the study. After a night of sleep, which allowed those memories to consolidate, researchers attempted to rewire half of the associations by linking the same nonsense words to positive images.

Leveraging Sleep and Brain Activity for Memory Reprogramming

During the second night, the researchers played recordings of the nonsense words while participants were in the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) phase of sleep—crucial for memory storage. Brain activity, monitored through electroencephalography, showed heightened theta-band activity when participants heard the audio cues tied to positive memories. This brain activity is strongly associated with emotional memory processing.

Follow-up questionnaires revealed that participants struggled to recall the negative memories linked to reprogrammed words. Instead, positive memories associated with these words surfaced more frequently and were perceived with a positive emotional bias.

“A noninvasive sleep intervention can thus modify aversive recollection and affective responses,” the researchers noted. “Our findings may offer new insights relevant for the treatment of pathological or trauma-related remembering.”

Although the results are encouraging, the research is still in its early stages. It’s important to note that this tightly controlled lab experiment doesn’t fully replicate real-world memory formation or emotional experiences.

The Challenge of Overwriting Real-Life Traumatic Memories

For instance, the aversive images shown during the experiment likely had a much smaller impact on memory formation than a genuinely traumatic event. Overwriting real-life traumatic memories could prove significantly more challenging.

Past studies have demonstrated that the brain saves memories by replaying them during sleep. This process has already been explored as a way to strengthen positive memories or diminish negative ones.

However, with so many variables—such as memory types, brain regions, and sleep phases—scientists will need time to refine these techniques and determine how long-lasting the effects might be. Despite these challenges, the approach of replacing negative memories with positive ones shows considerable potential.

“Our findings open broad avenues for seeking to weaken aversive or traumatic memories,” the researchers concluded.

Read Original Article: Science Alert

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