To celebrate Poison's release, I'm giving away THREE personalized copies of Poison by random drawing to commentors on this week's posts. To be eligible, you must leave a comment that includes your e-mail address. Must also live in the USA. Drawing will take place midnight on Saturday, February 9th. Winner announced here at Redwood's February 10th.
During the 80s, there were a number of children who falsely accused adults of molestation. Some of these adults were sent to prison and later found to be innocent.
You can read a little bit about that here.
In her autobiography, Maran outlines how she began to believe she had been molested by her father, when in reality, she had not.
At the time, Maran was a journalist doing a number of pieces about child molestation. She was observing family therapy sessions where incest had occurred. Suddenly, very innocent things from her life (like dreaming about her father's hands) became evidence that her father had harmed her. Obviously, when she came to know the truth, her relationship with her father was significantly damaged.
There was a definite craze in the 80s about recalling repressed memories under hypnosis. This is problematic for a couple of reasons. One, is there such a thing as a repressed memory? That being that something traumatic is witnessed by a person and as a form of protection, the mind bundles it up and tucks it away until a later time where recalling the memory is safer.
Some say yes-- absolutely. Others say, no. You can read more about the different thoughts here which is a lengthy treatise but very interesting, balanced information.
Is that possible? Hmm . . . you might have to read Poison to find out.
What we know from every day life is that some people believe things that are NOT true. And this belief in a lie can become great fodder for suspense novels. The eyewitness who falsely accuses. Possibly believing harm has come to you as a child when in fact, like Meredith, nothing insidious happened.
The question becomes, how do we prevent these false memories or false beliefs from harming other individuals? Is there a way to have a "perfect" justice system where only the truly guilty are imprisoned.
I don't know . . . sounds like another book.
I do remember that when accusers were saying all sorts of things it sees that today we still want to believe the worst and or the best. Being falsely accused is.the hardest thing. What amazes me is Jesus endured all the ridicule before Pilot and didnt even speak up to defend himself. Wow! What would it be like if i trusted the Father to defend me and i didnt worry about that hmmm.
ReplyDeleteI do remember that when accusers were saying all sorts of things it sees that today we still want to believe the worst and or the best. Being falsely accused is.the hardest thing. What amazes me is Jesus endured all the ridicule before Pilot and didnt even speak up to defend himself. Wow! What would it be like if i trusted the Father to defend me and i didnt worry about that hmmm.
ReplyDeleteIt truly is amazing. I have a hard time NOT defending myself even when perhaps I was slightly at fault-- never more than slightly ;)... so I cannot imagine being totally innocent and staying mum. Just shows what a sense of responsibility and love He had for all of us.
Deletefascinating, jordyn.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing.
karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
To me, what was most shocking about the whole repressed memory scandal (I think it rightly can be called a scandal for the psychotherapeutic professions) was that so many clinicians went wholesale into doing so-called repressed memory therapy based not on any studies demonstrating its effectiveness and safety, but on unsupported, anecdotal, more or less political tracts. Repressed memory therapy only disappeared when clinicians began to be successfully sued by injured clients and insurance companies stopped covering it. The episode rightly led to a strong call for evidence-based practices in psychotherapy.
ReplyDeleteKaye (kayereeves@gmail.com)
Great comment, Kaye. Would have been nice to see things improve without innocent people going to jail.
DeleteThanks, Jordyn. Your blog is always interesting and informative, and I look forward to reading your books.
DeleteInteresting study. I think psychologists can lay a foundation that leads to false memories. But not all psychologists do that. I was blessed to have one that helped me sort out my past and put it behind me. Even accurate memories are not all that accurate. My mother kept notebooks of my father's abuse, telling me that if she died, I could give them to the police. As I looked at my past, I realized that she also set me up for the abuse, didn't intervene in ways she could have (I had older brother and sister), and I began to see that I was abused, she wasn't. Many years later I spoke with my sister-in-law who took care of my mother in her last days. Turns out my mother was afraid that she would lose my father to his girlfriend, so she chose to keep him around using me. I didn't know that. My memory was one of both of us being abused. An honest assessment showed me that what I thought was true, wasn't.
ReplyDeleteI also think our memories change as we grow spiritually and psychologically stronger and things that once floored us no longer have the emotional chains to drag us down.
Your books sound very interesting.
Heather HM at HVC dot RR dot COM
I am truly fascinated with memory and memory formation takes a front seat in book #3-- Peril that will release in October.
DeleteI once thought that memories could be sketchy but reliable, until I began to play a "is it live or is it memory-x?" with my mother and brother (who is a lot older). Turns out some events that are EMBEDDED in my memory as real are my own creations. In some cases, they were stories I made up as a young child to entertain my family and friends. As an adult, I truly thought they were real.
ReplyDeleteThe more I compile these, the more I realize how truly shaky memory can be. Which is one reason I used this theme in a book.
I struggle with this, too. Sometimes I think-- did that really happen or was it a dream I've had over and over?
DeleteMemory is a truly fascinating thing and our strength of belief in something false can me equally as fascinating.
So glad you're addressing this, Jordyn. What a real phenomenon that Satan has used to wreck countless families. Not to make light of REAL memories, but he's breaking families apart any way he can.
ReplyDeleteVery true, Heather.
DeleteMy biggest fear is the blight it brought to counseling and therapy when it most definitely IS needed for fear of 'remembering' something. A family member went through repressed memory therapy, and it destroyed her marriage and nearly destroyed other family relationships. But don't avoid seeking professional help simply because of those who dabble in unproven methods. And kudos to authors such as Jordyn, tackling these hard issues through the vehicle of fiction. Stories tend to disarm us and allow the truth to get through:-)
ReplyDeletethedeena63@hotmail.com
I agree with the shaky memories that I have about some things. It is totally weird when someone else remembers the same event differently. I totally remember the eighties when no one knew what to think and it was hard calling people who seemed to have vivid memories once they were brought out in the open of rape. I think that many lives were ruined by this even if they went on to win a lawsuit. I don't know the truth of each statement but I remember someone using the example when I was small of how effective and also damaging words could be. It was like standing on a roof and shaking the feathers out of a feather pillow. There was NO WAY that you could ever get all the feathers back no matter how hard you tried. I have let that sink down deep and try to guard my tongue. That is a simplistic example of a much more complicated scenario that you are describing but once someone is accused of something, most people remember it, even if they are later proven innocent.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'd love a copy of that book. karenking@sc.rr.com
That's very true-- once an accusation is out all the effects can not be taken back. In the era of 24/7 media coverage and that insatiable appetite-- we need to be very careful but the environment (anonymity of the internet-- etc) makes it all the easier, too.
DeleteI think it can happen with more than therapists. Anyone whom a person trusts can plant false thinking into someone else. Daycare workers, teachers, social workers - It's sad but I guess that's part of the fallen world we live in. Our children need to be protected, not further harmed.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read Poison. Proof was amazing and I'm still thinking about it - Now I'm even more excited to read Poison. You are truly gifted.
clSwalwell@gmail.com
Thank you for this opportunity.
In Him,
Cheri :)
Awww-- thanks, Cheri!
DeleteVery intersting, I can not wait to read Posion. inspiremichelle@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteIm looking forward to reading Posion, please pick me to win
ReplyDeletejcisforme@aol.com