Mindfulness to Eliminate Negative Memories from the Mind

A phrase attributed to the philosopher and psychologist John Dewey is: “we naturally remember what interests us and why it interests us.” Some may agree with the statement, but the truth is that not all of our memories show a clear usefulness or a way in which they benefit us in some way. It is very common, for example, to keep clearly unpleasant or negative memories in some aspect that, despite the rejection reactions they produce in us, resist being forgotten.

It’s normal for it to happen, in fact. If something characterizes memories, it is that they all appear without being called, without attending to rational criteria, and in a rather disordered manner. Our consciousness does not have absolute control over memory In any case, he adapts to the help he can receive from it, and he is satisfied when the memories that are recovered are useless, distracting or in bad taste. It is the double edge of the brain’s functioning: it is so creative that, by force, it is to a certain extent unpredictable. For better and for worse.

Of course, it is a problem that we are not able to recover the memories we need to inspire us, but it can be even worse if certain negative memories are presented to us in a negative way. persistent something that can occur even if we are not thinking about something indirectly related to that past experience.

The neuroscience behind suppressing intrusive memories

In reality, you cannot affect the memory system to the point of completely preventing the appearance of memories of a certain type. What we can do is influence the process of recovering these memories, to make us less aware of them and so that they do not cause us so many problems once they have appeared. This does not only apply to memories that pass into consciousness, since it can also be applied to any type of unpleasant experience in progress.

Luckily, there are ways to tackle these small daily conflicts with our memories. We know them, in part thanks to a study published in 2012 that can be read in the magazine Neuron. The researchers who participated in it were looking for neurological clues that can help us forget negative or unwanted memories, even in cases of PTSD. These scientists reported on two opposing mechanisms that operate in parallel when making these types of evocations disappear from the map: suppression and the substitution

Deletion and Substitution

Deletion is a process that involves the inhibition of memories, while substitution helps to transfer new memories to consciousness that take the place of the suppressed part, even if these are practically invented. Despite working as a team, both mechanisms involve different neuronal structures

While suppression involves the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, substitution arises from different areas of the same prefrontal lobe, an area of ​​the brain associated with planning and goal-oriented strategies.

What does this study teach us?

The previous study provides evidence on the possibility of intervene in the appearance of unwanted memories On the one hand, we can block its appearance by suppression, and on the other, think about other things. Or, in other words, the conclusions of the study suggest that, in many cases, some mental training is enough to achieve a certain degree of control over the recovery of past experiences.

Getting more to the point, the techniques that are useful in shortening the life of negative memories use the logic of suppression and replacement. Basically, it is about exercising control over the focus on which one is directing one’s attention and removing it from negative experiences. It may seem like a very simple answer, but the truth is that it is not so simple. Ultimately, suppressing a thought is in part recognizing that it is there, that it exists. Therefore, the best thing you can do is practice and improve your mastery of attention.

What are the techniques that allow you to eliminate negative memories?

Both traditional meditation and Mindfulness has been shown to be effective in making intrusive memories disappear. Both are forms of “mental training” that affect the connections between different neural tissues, and appear to facilitate the control of attention while minimizing the effect of unpleasant sensations, according to certain studies.

How do I adapt that to my case?

The good thing about attentional control methods is that they can take a wide variety of forms. There are many ways to meditate and it is relatively easy to find one that suits each case. Furthermore, these practices are associated with an increase in quality of life not only in relation to negative memories: they also serve to sleep more easily, reduce stress and even treat chronic pain.

On the other hand, to know how to adapt Mindfulness as a tool to the different needs that arise, it is first necessary to learn the fundamentals of Mindfulness.