Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. And for all those who thought the plot of the sci-fi film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — in which Jim Carrey toys with the decision to have painful memories of a split from Kate Winslet erased from his mind — was a little too unbelievable, progress has once again proved that nothing is impossible.
Researchers at the prestigious John Hopkins University in the US recently claimed to have created a pill that can help erase the traumatic memories of whoever consumes it. While the pill may be touted as a wonder drug for victims of physical or sexual abuse, youngsters say they would rather keep their painful memories.
Singer Neha Bhasin, who has channelled the pain of a bad break-up into her latest album Tabaah, says the entire concept seems strange. “Forgetting happens when it’s meant to, when you move on. An individual’s evolution has to be spiritual rather than mechanical, and popping a pill certainly seems mechanical.”
Others emphasise the “evolution” that sorrow brings with it as well. “Whatever I have gone through, I would rather look back at it with a sense of learning. But I do agree that there are people who’ve had such excruciating instances in their life that they’d like to forget them by taking this pill,” says photographer Shobhan Singh.