The Controversial Science of Repressed Memories

You Should Know: The idea of “repressed memories” is back in the spotlight after author Amy Griffin’s memoir was challenged by a lawsuit alleging that a traumatic event she described as a recovered memory actually happened to someone else. The controversy has revived a decades-old question: Can the brain truly bury traumatic memories outside conscious awareness?

Going Deeper: Most psychologists agree that trauma can affect memory, but not necessarily in the way popular culture suggests. According to the American Psychological Association, survivors may avoid thinking about traumatic events, struggle to discuss them, or have fragmented memories. That’s different from the Freudian concept of repression, which proposes that the mind unconsciously seals away traumatic memories that can later be “recovered.” Research has found that suggestive therapeutic techniques can sometimes create false memories, leading many experts to caution against treatments that claim to uncover hidden trauma.

Takeaway: Trauma is real, and so are its effects on memory. But evidence for deeply buried memories that are later accurately recovered remains controversial. 

Bottom Line: Forgetting, avoiding, and suppressing traumatic experiences are well documented. The idea that trauma is secretly stored away and later unlocked, however, remains one of psychology’s most debated — and disputed — claims.