Selective memory really exists and people can train their minds to erase embarrassing moments from their mind, according to scientists.
Repressing bad memories for long enough can lead to us forgetting them completely, researchers claim.
Scientists used EEG scans to monitor the parts of the brain that became active when volunteers actively tried to forget something.
They were also able to pinpoint the exact moment a memory is "forgotten", and claim that long-term suppression of a memory is a sure-fire way of permanently erasing it.
A team from Lund University in Sweden said that mastering the technique could be useful for people who suffer from depression or post traumatic stress disorder, where constantlydwelling on upsetting or traumatic memories has a devastating effect on mental health.
Lead researcher Gerd Waldhauser said: "We know that 'forgotten' or repressed feelings often manifest themselves as physiological reactions. Our volunteers were trained to forget neutral information in a controlled laboratory environment. Training to forget a traumatic event would be more complex."


据英国《每日邮报》7月8日报道：科学家称，选择性记忆确实存在，进行思维训练即可删除不愉快的记忆。

研究人员说，只要长时间抑制痛苦的记忆，人们就可彻底将之遗忘。

当被测试者选择主动遗忘某些事情时，对他们的脑电图扫描就会检测到他们大脑的某个区域变得异常活跃。

研究人员还能判定记忆"被遗忘"的准确时刻。研究者声称只要长时间地刻意不想起某件事，就能将它永久遗忘。


来自瑞典隆德大学的一个研究团队称，掌握此技巧对那些遭受抑郁或创伤后压力心理障碍症的人有一定帮助。长期陷于不愉快或者令人伤痛的记忆中会对人的心理健康产生严重的影响。


该研究的领导者格尔德•瓦尔德豪瑟说："我们知道，'遗忘'或抑制情感是一种生理反应。测试者在受控的实验室环境下可以经过训练而遗忘一些普通信息，而如果要忘记创伤性经历，就需要更复杂的训练。"

• monitor [´mɔnitə] n.班长 v.监控；检查 (初中英语单词)
• depression [di´preʃən] n.沮丧，抑郁；萧条 (初中英语单词)
• stress [stres] n.强调；压力 vt.强调 (初中英语单词)
• constantly [´kɔnstəntli] ad.经常地；不断地 (初中英语单词)
• dwelling [´dweliŋ] n.住所；寓所 (初中英语单词)
• mental [´mentl] a.精神的；心理的 (初中英语单词)
• sweden [´swi:dn] n.瑞典 (高中英语单词)
• disorder [dis´ɔ:də] n.杂乱 vt.扰乱 (高中英语单词)
• manifest [´mænifest] a.明显的 v.表明 (高中英语单词)
• neutral [´nju:trəl] a.中立(国)的 (高中英语单词)
• laboratory [lə´bɔrətəri] n.实验室；研究室(所) (高中英语单词)
• environment [in´vaiərənmənt] n.郊区；周围；条件 (高中英语单词)
• actively [´æktivli] ad.活跃地，积极地 (英语四级单词)
• permanently [´pə:mənəntli] ad.永久地；持久地 (英语四级单词)
• technique [tek´ni:k] n.技术；技巧；方法 (英语六级单词)