Memories Of A Human Being Name, Hair Color, Eye Color...

There are so many things that define a human being: name, hair color, eye color, skin color. However, memory plays just as big of a role in giving a person his or her identity. Memory tells the likes and dislikes, friends and foes, and pleasant and traumatic experiences of a person. Sometimes, though, the memory can be misleading since the brain is able to repress memories of traumatic experiences. In the 1990s, there was a surge in the amount of curiosity scientists had about repressed memories (Zezima and Carey) because of the many court cases in which victims or witnesses of heinous crimes took the perpetrators to trial because of resurfaced memories (Loftus). The court cases were the catalysts for studies on repressed and resurfaced†¦show more content†¦The year 1990 was a monumental time for memory revelations. George Franklin Sr. was taken to court by his daughter on the basis of resurfaced memories. Franklin s daughter, Eileen, was eight-years-old when she became a wi tness to her best friend s death. Twenty years after that fateful night in 1969, Eileen began to remember pieces of the incident. She eventually had a very full memory of what had happened. That memory allowed Eileen to take her father to court in California, convince a jury of Franklin s wrongdoing, and find him guilty of first degree murder. After this breakthrough court case, a series of other trials came to light featuring recently resurfaced memories (Loftus). A string of studies soon followed because the numerous court cases had piqued the interest of scientists nationwide. Though some scientists had differing opinions, several well-respected organizations conducted studies which concluded that the human mind is capable of repressing memories of traumatic events. A joint study conducted by researchers at Stanford University and the University of Oregon has found that the left and right frontal cortexes and the hippocampus are involved in repressing memories. The left and right frontal cortexes are the parts of the brain that are used when people repress memories. The hippocampus is used when remembering things. When the left and right frontal cortexes have a higher usage rate, the hippocampus is