Splendor in the garden of scientific delights, Or, spotshine of the sun-owled which?

I sometimes forget I have this blog, which brings me to the topic of today's post. While doing a literature search at work today I came across an hypothesis that has been kicked around, killed, and reborn several times over the last few decades. Called the "reconsolidation hypothesis," it states that when you recall a memory, there's a window of time wherein that memory becomes susceptible to erasure (either by drug treatment or, it seems, strong enough stimuli). There are even a few scientfic studies wherein the phenomenon is demonstrated. The debate continues about whether this hypothesis holds weight or not, but I find it fascinating to consider.

Take, for example, how important it can be to recall certain memories in times of crisis (for more well-developed examples of this, see Harry Potter books 1-7). These memories can provide great strength or comfort, but what if you could only revisit them once? Would people go around always trying to make new powerful memories to draw on? What if missing your dead wife actually made you forget her? Even now I think people have the power to reshape memories to give them the memory they need or fear most. I am constantly overwhelmed by the power of nostalgia in my recollections. We know so very little about memory!

(as an aside, I also love the mental image of one's memories being susceptible to the band Erasure. "who needs love like that!")

Now if only I could remember where I left my frozen cochlea slides...