Is it possible to erase memories from your brain? Current advances in memory manipulation
Desde la optogenética en ratones hasta el neurofeedback en humanos, la ciencia explora cómo modificar recuerdos, abriendo oportunidades terapéuticas y dilemas éticos.
The idea of altering or erasing memories has long fascinated scientists and philosophers, and while it once belonged purely to science fiction, research in neuroscience is bringing it closer to reality. The question of whether painful or traumatic memories could be deleted is no longer hypothetical, though the techniques remain experimental and raise profound ethical debates.
Advances in animal research
About a decade ago, Susumu Tonegawa’s team at MIT made a breakthrough by demonstrating that memories in mice could be altered using optogenetics. By identifying specific neurons—known as engrams—that store memory traces, the researchers managed to artificially reactivate them. In one experiment, mice trained to fear a location due to electric shocks displayed the same fear response even when no shock was delivered, showing that scientists could “implant” a memory without the original experience.
Later, Boston University neuroscientist Steve Ramírez extended this work, using optogenetics to not only reactivate but also change the emotional valence of memories, transforming negative associations into neutral or even positive ones. Still, this method is invasive and currently impractical for humans.
Optogenetics and its impact
Optogenetics combines genetic engineering and light to control brain cells with extreme precision. By making neurons light-sensitive, lasers can switch them on or off, allowing researchers to explore how memories are formed, stored, and altered. This precision has revolutionized neuroscience but remains confined to animal models due to its invasiveness.
Human experiments: Decoded Neurofeedback and pharmaceuticals
For humans, researchers are testing less invasive techniques. At the ATR Institute in Kyoto, Aurelio Cortese and colleagues developed Decoded Neurofeedback (DecNef), which uses fMRI combined with machine learning. This approach maps brain activity linked to negative memories and trains participants, through reinforcement, to shift their brain patterns—weakening the emotional response to phobias or trauma. Though promising, it is still experimental and limited in scope.
Pharmacological approaches are also being explored. Propranolol, a beta-blocker, has shown potential in reducing the emotional intensity of traumatic memories in patients with PTSD. However, concerns remain about side effects, toxicity, and the broader implications of chemically altering memory.
Ethical considerations and neuro-rights
Memory manipulation is not only a technical challenge but also an ethical one. While potential therapeutic benefits include treating PTSD, phobias, or severe anxiety, risks arise when considering non-therapeutic uses—such as altering personal history, erasing guilt, or reshaping identity. Since memories are core to personal identity, their modification could undermine a person’s sense of self.
In response, scholars and policymakers have begun developing the concept of neuro-rights—ethical and legal frameworks designed to protect cognitive liberty, mental privacy, and psychological integrity in the age of neurotechnology. These discussions are increasingly urgent as science moves from experimental animal models toward possible human applications.
In short: science is showing that memories can indeed be modified, weakened, or even artificially implanted, but applying these techniques safely and ethically in humans remains a challenge that touches not only medicine but also fundamental questions about identity and human rights.
