Sorry Stephen. I must have missed (or forgotten) your March post on this. Chris ===========
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Chris Green said: > > >> You may recall that, a while ago, Stephen Black (I think) told us of a >> challenge by the McLean Hospital Psychiatry Lab, which would give $1000 >> to anyone who could find an account of repressed memory, fictional or >> not, prior to the year 1800. The aim of the challenge was to prove that >> the whole idea of repressed memory was a recent cultural construct, not >> something that naturally occurs in the human brain. It turns out that >> the challenge has been met, though admittedly, not by very much. An >> example of repressed memory has been found from 1786. >> > > Would it be churlish of me to point out that I posted on this development > back on March 31, 2007? It's probably overweening hubris to expect that > anyone would remember, but as you didn't, I inflict my post on you again. > However, it does have a few details not mentioned in the more recent > posts. > > Stephen > > ------- Forwarded message follows ------- > From: Self <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: TIPS <[email protected]> > Subject: Pope's repressed memory challenge > Date sent: Sat, 31 Mar 2007 22:22:30 -0400 > > There are two very interesting things in the current issue of the False > Memory Syndrome Foundation newsletter (see > http://www.fmsfonline.org/currentnewsletter.pdf ) > but I only have time for one of them now. > > We've previously discussed Harrison Pope's $1000 challenge to find a > published example of repressed memory, fact or fiction, before the year > 1800. Pope's opinion seems to be that the idea of repressed memory is a > relatively recently-invented concept lacking scientific validity. In his > view, the failure to find an example of it prior to 1800 would strengthen > the case for interpreting it as a culturally-determined invention. > > He widely advertised his challenge and its $1000 inducement to prove him > wrong. Sure enough, an article has recently appeared from Pope et al > (2007), in which they report that no one has provided a satisfactory > example worthy of the prize. They therefore concluded: > > "It appears that dissociative amnesia [repressed memory] is not a natural > neuropsychological phenomenon, but instead a culture-bound syndrome, > dating from the nineteenth century." > > But hold the presses! The FMSF newsletter has a cryptic update. It says: > > "Since the publication of the article and ensuing publicity, the authors > awarded the $1,000 to someone who found an example in a 1786 opera". > > The comment is referenced only by the statement that this is based on a > personal communication from Harrison Pope dated March 27, 2007, which is > pretty close to right now. No other details. > > Intrigued, I went looking for the winning entry and for the winner, Mr. > Someone. What I came up with was a one-act comic opera called _Nina_ by > Marsollier and Dalayrac, which premiered in Paris in 1786. I didn't have > a summary of the libretto but it formed the basis of a later opera (1789) > with the same name by Piasiello. The plot of that opera featured a young > woman exposed to a traumatic event who subsequently lost all memory for > it . (She sees her love apparentlly slain in a duel and her father > demanding that she marry the killer. That's gotta hurt! But you'll be > relieved to know that it all turns out ok in the end; otherwise it > wouldn't be a comic opera, would it?) > > Searching still further, I was also able to identify Mr. Someone, who > turns out to be George Simmers. Here's his account of how he came to win > the prize (although he writes before his success was declared): > http://greatwarfiction.wordpress.com/2007/03/06/repression-challenge-my- > contender/ > http://tinyurl.com/2wgjkb > > Mr. Simmers is not forthcoming with details, but still more searching led > me to identify him as a Ph.D. student (probably of literature) at Oxford > Brookes University in the UK. I understand that this institution is not > the same as another university over there called Oxford, although the > similarity of name does invite confusion. > > Congratulations, George! > > Stephen > > Reference > > Pope HG Jr, Poliakoff MB, Parker MP, Boynes M, Hudson JI (2007). > Is dissociative amnesia a culture-bound syndrome? Findings from a survey > of historical literature. Psychol Med. 2007 Feb;37(2):225-33. > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. > Professor of Psychology, Emeritus > Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 2600 College St. > Sherbrooke QC J1M 1Z7 > Canada > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
