19# The Power of Memory

How We Can Rewrite the Past

According to Egyptian mythology, the deceased lived in the afterlife much as they had during their earthly lives. But before they could enjoy eternal life, they had to descend into the realm of the dead and journey through the underworld of Osiris, where dangerous trials awaited them. If they failed even a single trial, they returned to their graves, facing the threat of eternal damnation and an endless cycle.

In Charlie McDowell's film The Discovery, people believe that a better life awaits them after death and take their own lives. Yet what they experience after death is not salvation, but an endless repetition of their regrets. Their subconscious forces them to relive their mistakes and feelings of guilt over and over again, turning death into a form of punishment and, at the same time, never-ending torment. It becomes clear that the search for salvation actually leads to an endless cycle of suffering.

But What If We Could Change the Past?

"We create our own memories," explains Bielefeld-based memory researcher Hans Markowitsch. Suppose The Discovery were a real discovery. In that case, we might be able to overcome the endless cycle of moral doubts. By consciously using our memories – thoughts coloured by emotions – to make amends for past mistakes, we channel positive energy into the past. This deliberate transformation could not only heal our past but also have a lasting influence on our future, opening up a new perspective on our lives and actions.

Why Should This Work?

Because thoughts can be manipulated, we could reconstruct our memories in a different way. By travelling back into the past through our memories and resolving an "unpleasant situation" with a different action, choice of words or apology, we could return to the here and now and create a better future for ourselves. This technique creates a harmonious balance, provided that the resolution of the conflict is sincere and comes from the heart.

The possibilities for manipulating human memories are almost limitless. Even false memories can be created, and traumatic experiences could be overwritten like old recordings.

Professor Karl-Heinz Brodbeck, a philosopher, explains that the brain is not a hard drive that stores data – that idea belongs to the twentieth century.

But when unpleasant thoughts arise, we can "erase" them simply by no longer thinking about them, brushing them aside like chalk from a blackboard. Psychologists call this the "reduction of cognitive dissonance."

What Happens to Our Thoughts When They Become Memories?

Once received through our senses, impressions and information first enter our short-term memory and then the limbic system. There, it is determined which emotions and events are important to us and which are not. Only relevant information reaches the cerebral cortex, where it is stored and strengthened through repeated recall. This is how engrams are formed, and information becomes part of our long-term memory.

Our Memory Potential

"Emotions," says Markowitsch, "are the guardians of our memory." But if we possess the key to reconstructing our memories, why shouldn't we use it for something positive? We are not trapped in any particular scenario, nor do we have to carry our guilt into the afterlife. On the contrary, we can make amends in the midst of life – anytime, anywhere – simply through positive thinking.

American parapsychologist José Silva once said, "The greatest discovery you will ever make is the potential of your own mind."

And I say: Let us use the potential of our minds and reshape the past by reconstructing it in a positive light. By viewing our memories through the lens of reconciliation, we create not only a better understanding of our own history but also a future in which healing becomes possible.

Anastasia Weimer