UNFORGETTABLE TALES OF AMNESIA (Part 1): Memory Loss in All Its Frightening and Fascinating Forms

 

By Lisa Malice, Ph.D.

“I don’t remember . . . I can’t recall anything!” These words have been blurted out by a vast cast of characters over the years in books, TV and movies. Some consider amnesia a trope, an overused fictional plot device, but that doesn’t stop writers from going down that rabbit hole with their heroes and heroines, nor does it keep readers and viewers from loving every minute of a book or film incorporating memory loss in its tale.

As a psychologist-turned-crime writer, I was drawn to write my first psychological thriller, Lest She Forget, after watching a simple commercial for identity theft left me asking a series of what if questions. One answer led to another question until a twisty story of memory loss sparked my creative energy. Research on amnesia followed, of course, leading to me here, sharing my findings and thoughts on what is a fascinating subject. This essay is the first of a four-part series on amnesia, its origins, how it presents itself, amazing stories—both real-life and in fantasy—to help illustrate the condition and its effects, and, finally, why tales of memory loss seem to captivate us so. Today’s essay discusses the different types of amnesia and their causes, then focuses on the type of memory loss most people are familiar with. 

Most often, memory loss is experienced by people who suffer damage to certain brain regions. Referred to as organic amnesia, this impairment may present itself in association with a head injury, certain diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s) or health conditions (e.g., stroke, epilepsy), alcohol/drug abuse, and even medicines.

Amnesia is classified based on what memory is lost and what is not. Anterograde amnesia is defined as the inability to form new memories while leaving past memories intact. Nothing a person perceives in one moment is remembered the next because the sight, sound, feel, or other sensation doesn’t pass from short-term, or working memory, to long-term memory. Retrograde amnesia is characterized by the inability to recall past memories, though sufferers are able to make new ones. Typically, what is lost is declarative information, that is, autobiographical recollections of our personal lives, with general and procedural memories—information we generally know and actions we know how to perform (e.g., reading, cooking) are left intact.

Amnesia may be transient, lasting no more than a few minutes, perhaps hours, days or weeks, or reflect a  permanent condition. Memory loss can be episodic, that is, related to a specific event or period of time, or global, leaving sufferers no recollection of their name, autobiography, nor that of their family and friends.

Retrograde amnesia is much more prevalent in books, movies—and real life—owing to the many different ways it can manifest itself and why. The Girl On the Train, captivates as a thriller novel and a film through the eyes of a young woman, Rachel, who experiences alcohol-induced amnesia, or blackouts, episodes of her life she can’t remember though she is desperate to do so to prove she witnessed a murder. The police, cognizant of the would-be witness’s drinking problem, doubt her testimony—especially since the victim is her ex-husband’s new wife—forcing Rachel to risk her life to prove the police wrong.

Head injuries are common devices for inducing retrograde amnesia. The title character in Liane Moriarty’s What Alice Forgot wakes up on the floor of a gym with a ten-year gap in her memory after taking a blow to her head. The last thing she remembers was being 29 and blissfully happy in her marriage with her first child growing inside her. In reality, Alice is pushing forty and a divorced mother of three. Taken in by her estranged sister, Alice is left with just one choice, going forward, reconstructing the events of her lost decade, in the hope of rebuilding her life and recapturing the love of her family. 

In real life, retrograde amnesia can be induced therapeutically, via hypnosis or electroconvulsive therapy, to bury traumatic memories and alleviate chronic, debilitating anxiety, PTSD, and even phobias, but it’s not a quick and easy process. In the world of fiction, however, especially sci-fi, memory can be wiped clean, or at least hidden, much more easily and more completely.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), for example, finds two lovers, portrayed by Jim Carey and Kate Winslet, in a troubled relationship so painful that they part ways by undergoing a procedure to remove any shred of memory of the other from their minds. But fate plays its hand bringing the two lovers together once again. Their newfound love is threatened after recordings are uncovered, personal recollections revealing the distressing problems the couple grappled with in their forgotten lives. In the end, they give in to what Fate seems to have in store for them and stay together, committing to learn from their mistakes and find happiness the second time around.

The 1990 film classic, Total Recall, takes on induced amnesia and one man’s efforts to recover his lost memories with a sinister action-packed plot. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character, a Martian secret agent, is neutralized by a shadow organization—stripped of his conscious memory of a ruthless dictator’s scheme to rule Mars—by the planting of a fake identity in his head. Complete with all manner of memories, including personal experiences, knowledge, and skills, he follows his programmed mind as a married construction worker, a life far removed from Mars both physically and mentally. Visiting the red planet—even living there—is a lifelong dream for him, but not for his wife. He settles for taking a virtual vacation on Mars, only to have the simulation spark flashes of his buried past life come rushing back, compelling him to finish the mission he started and save the day.

One form of retrograde amnesia has no physical cause and is more rife in fiction than in the real world—psychogenic amnesia. It is known more formally as “dissociative fugue” because it represents a break in a person’s conscious identity. The onset of this form of memory loss follows severe psychological trauma or prolonged post-traumatic stress (PTSD), going so far as to leave behind a dazed, confused, wanderer devoid of any personal memories or even a name.

Strange but true stories, as well as fascinating fictional tales (including Lest She Forget), abound delving into dissociative fugue, its origins, and manifestations—well worth a full column of its own (Part 3). Look for Unforgettable Amnesia Stories (Part 2) November 11 at Writers Who Kill. Until then, please share your thoughts on your favorite amnesia novels and films.