[lbo-talk] Feminism and the False Memory Syndrome

[Miles Jackson]

joanna wrote:
> These arguments make no sense since the greatest misery in both cases 
> cited below spring from eager/simple-minded shrinks and organized 
> religion. An individual's memory of rape may be a source of suffering 
> and their  realization of "god's" presence may be a source of  joy, but 
> in neither case is that individual experience responsible for the mass 
> hysteria and suffering you guys are talking about.
> 
> And Yoshie, I find it both insulting and creepy that a socialist, 
> feminist woman would be so pressed to talk about sexual abuse in 
> families as an example of peasant delusion and paranoia.
> 

Joanna,

The research on this is clear: people can easily develop vivid and 
detailed memories about life events that have never happened if they are 
repeatedly questioned about the possible event.  If you ask "Did your 
mom touch you in a bad way?" enough times in therapy, some people will 
develop a vivid, detailed, yet fabricated memory that mom did abuse 
them.  As Yosh points out, we should not accept claims of rape or abuse 
that happened many years ago simply because the person vividly remembers 
the event.

And I know Yosh can defend her own position, but she isn't talking about 
sexual abuse; she's talking about claims of sexual abuse.  Again, having 
a vivid and detailed childhood memory of abuse is not clear evidence 
that the abuse occurred.  I know it would be easy if we could just 
accept the person's account, but memory processes are not that simple. 
(And that leads back to my point in my previous post.)

Miles