ISSUE 8. Are Repressed Memories Real?
YES: RICHARD P. KLUFT, FROM “THE ARGUMENT FOR THE REALITY OF DELAYED RECALL OF TRAUMA,” IN PAUL S. APPLEBAUM, LISA A. UYEHARA, AND MARK R. ELIN, EDS., TRAUMA AND MEMORY: CLINICAL AND LEGAL CONTROVERSIES (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1997)
NO: ELIZABETH F. LOFTUS, FROM “CREATING FALSE MEMORIES,” SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN (SEPTEMBER 1997)
Psychiatrist Richard Kluft believes that repressed and recovered memories are real, and often reflect real instances of trauma and abuse. Cognitive psychologist Elizabeth Loftus argues that false memories can be created with surprising ease. As a result, many repressed and recovered memories may not reflect real traumatic or abusive events.