Unchained Memories: True Stories Of Traumatic Memory Loss - Hardcover

Terr, Lenore

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465088236 ISBN 13: 9780465088232

Publisher: Basic Books, 1994

Synopsis

Explores the controversial subject of repressed memories and the effects that releasing them can have, examining seven cases of people whose lives changed when they remembered hidden parts of their lives

About this title

About the Author

Lenore Terr, M.D., is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute of the University of California, San Francisco.

Reviews

With a notably unsensationalistic tone, memory expert Terr ( Too Scared to Cry ) tells five convincing tales concerning childhood trauma that was "forgotten" long before being "recovered." Included is the 1990 California case of Eileen Franklin Lipsker, whose recovered memories led to her accusing her father of raping and killing her nine-year-old classmate 20 years earlier (he was convicted of the murder). Explaining our understanding of memory as it functions on a cellular level and exploring the relationship between behavior and buried memories, Terr eloquently laces her narratives with material from research studies and other "lost memory" cases, including those about which she has testified in court as an expert witness. She describes the gradually recovered memories of a medical researcher who was abused by his mother; and a 10-year-old girl's "false" memories of abuse by two doctors, an account Terr believes was perhaps inadvertently cued by suggestions planted by the child's parents. Terr offers a broad, balanced view of her topic even as she supports her thesis that accurate memories remain intact even after being "lost" for years.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Artfully told stories of the often-astonishing discovery of memories of traumatic childhood events. A child psychiatrist well-versed in trauma and memory, Terr has studied victims' recollection of the Chowchilla schoolbus kidnapping (Too scared to Cry, 1990) and child witnesses' memories of the Challenger disaster. Here, her research on trauma and memory enriches her narrative, making it far more than good journalism. The first and longest account concerns Eileen Lipsker, who suddenly and vividly recalled seeing her father kill her childhood playmate 20 years earlier (Terr came to know Lipsker when appearing as an expert witness for the prosecution in the murder trial of Lipsker's father). In two other accounts, Terr was a witness for the defense, explaining old-fashioned psychological amnesia to one jury and false memories to another. In the first, the defendant had suffered episodes of amnesia since seeing her mother burn to death, and in the second, a young girl had falsely accused her doctors of sexual abuse. Child abuse figures in two other stories--one involving a man whose repressed memories of his mother sexually abusing him and attempting to drown him returned with terrifying force, another about a former Miss America overwhelmed by the return of memories of incest. Shorter accounts describe how James Ellroy, author of Black Dahlia and other violent crime novels, had displaced memories of his own mother's brutal slaying, and how a radio talk-show host succeeded in recalling memories of a long-dead brother. Terr interviewed all but the young girl, whom she studied via audio and video tapes, and for each interview she includes convincing data on trauma and memory to clarify their stories. First-rate medical detection that lights up a corner of the human mind. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Much controversy exists about whether or not childhood memories repressed for many years can be fully retrieved in adulthood without major distortions (otherwise known as the "false memory" debate). In this fascinating book, Terr, author of Too Scared To Cry ( LJ 5/1/90), presents a well-balanced, insightful examination of memory. The themes and theories of what can go wrong with memory and how parts of a memory can become false are skillfully illustrated in seven case studies. The many ways we have of remembering and of forgetting are clearly detailed. Terr argues that all cases of reclaimed memories from childhood should be assessed individually and that taking a general stand on the truth or falsity of such memories is a mistake. This rare blend of science, research, and good storytelling makes for an exceptionally readable book that is hard to put down. Highly recommended for all psychology collections.
- January Adams, ODSI Research Lib., Raritan, N.J.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Terr describes in detail her work with seven individuals who suffered traumatic experiences, one of whom built up a false memory sequence as a result of her mother's scheming. Terr compares and contrasts victims who suffered one-time traumas with those whose traumatic experiences extended over considerable periods of time. She discusses the various mechanisms used in forming, restraining, and producing memories, well illustrating them through such case histories as that of a young girl who, besides being sexually abused herself, saw her father sexually abuse and murder a playmate; that of a woman suffering from dissociation who was thought to be drunk; and that of an unfavored son seeking memories and explanations of the role of his tragically killed favored brother. Terr writes clearly about a confusing subject and concludes with a helpful injunction that each case be examined individually and with an open mind. William Beatty

Edition details

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0465088236
• ISBN 13: 9780465088232
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304