Chiron and Neptune have been within range of a conjunction since early 2008, but the conjunction won’t be exact until next summer. Still, the Wounded Healer and the Mystic Escapist are definitely dancing together, which may be how we ended up with this:
Scientists believe a common heart medicine may be able to
banish fearful memories from the mind.
The Dutch investigators believe beta-blocker drugs could help people
suffering from the emotional after-effects of traumatic experiences.Tieve the drug alters how memories are recalled after carrying out the
study of 60 people, Nature Neuroscience reports.
But British experts questioned the ethics of tampering with the mind.
Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said he was
concerned about the “fundamentally pharmacological” approach to people with
problems such as phobias and anxiety. He said the procedure might also alter good memories and warned against an
“accelerated Alzheimer’s” approach….
Experiments on animals has shown beta blockers can interfere with how the
brain makes sense of frightening events.
She told Nature Neuroscience: “Millions of people suffer from emotional
disorders and the relapse of fear, even after successful treatment.
“Our findings may have important implications for the understanding and
treatment of persistent and self-perpetuating memories in individuals suffering
from emotional disorders.”
But Professor Neil Burgess of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience said
the research merely demonstrates that the beta blockers reduce a person’s
startle response, breaking the association of the spider to these unconscious
responses.
And Dr Daniel Sokol, lecturer in Medical Ethics at St George’s, University of
London, said memories were important, for people to learn from their mistakes
for example [emphasis added].
“Removing bad memories is not like removing a wart or a mole. It will change
our personal identity since who we are is linked to our memories. It may perhaps
be beneficial in some cases, but before eradicating memories, we must reflect on
the knock-on effects that this will have on individuals, society and our sense
of humanity.”