Repressed Memory is the latest fad among therapists. Their unorthodox methodology is used to revive memories of childhood incest in order to explain away adult problems.

Thousands of women who make allegations of sexual abuse against their parents as a result
of recovered memory therapy may have been the victims of a dangerous fad. Their memories
may have been created through suggestive and invasive techniques, especially if there is no
corroborating evidence of abuse. The results are often devastating to the patient's family who
may not only lose contact with the child, but can be civilly sued and criminally charged for acts
they did not commit.

A Questionable Theory
Starting in the late 1980's, the mental health profession embraced a new miracle cure called repressed memory therapy. What some professionals still consider a remedy for many patients is
a controversial theory that claims that the majority of American women1 have been molested as children and that most of them have repressed the memories of these acts. They believe that it is
the molestation and its repression that is the key to the emotional and physical ills of these patients.
If the therapist enables a patient to recover memories of abuse, the victim/patient can overcome
her problems. Advocates of these ideas have written books and articles, continue to give
conferences and actively encourage questionable and unprofessional techniques to recover
childhood memories of sexual abuse during therapy.

As a result of repressed memory therapy, thousands of women - women who previously had no memories or suspicion of abuse before? believe they are the victims of molestation. The abusers
are the patients own fathers, mothers, brothers, uncles, or other relativ es and friends. Almost
20% of these women have also recovered memories of satanic ritual abuse and all its horrors:
baby sacrifices, murders, multi-generational abuse and mutilation. Some have even reported
memories of abuse in past lives or during alien space abductions.

Writers and therapists who advocate repressed memory theories of abuse cloak themselves in scientific rhetoric and misuse legitimate psychological concepts in order to give their beliefs credibility. Repression, dissociation, psychogenic amne sia, post-traumatic stress disorder,
multiple-personality disorders and a pseudo-scientific phenomenon called body memories are all
part of the grab-bag of terms that are meant to convince patients that they do show symptoms of abuse, even if they have no memory of such acts.

The most blatant disregard for scientific research is evidenced by the movement's theory of
memory. Proponents of repressed memories claim that memory acts like a video camera.
It records a person's experiences-- even those in the womb-- so indelibly that later experience or interpretation cannot change those images. The y are considered factual and pristine. This is the
basis for the movement and any technique used in therapy to gain access to these pictures is justifiable. Advocates ignore the possibility that their techniques not only distort memories but actually create pseudo memories as well.

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