How to forget fear | The Times

How to forget fear | The Times

 "This experiment capitalised on the knowledge that traumatic memories are not written just once but every time we remember them. When we first record memories the presence of certain proteins strengthens connections between the synapses — the gaps between nerve cells — in the brain. However, every time we recall these memories subsequently the proteins break down and must be remade from scratch. During this period of reconsolidation our memory is vulnerable to reshaping. Like that open Word document on your laptop, it can be rewritten."