psychpaper
Retrograde Amnesia in The Bourne Identity
Syed Nabeel Hasan
Professor Alger
19 April 2012
Psychology 1313
MWF 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM
Retrograde Amnesia Ever wondered how it would feel like to start from scratch in life? How it would feel like to not remember anything or anyone? Retrograde amnesia has caused many people to lose their memory all over the world. Retrograde amnesia is [1] a specific type of amnesia where a person is unable to recall events that have occurred in the past prior to the amnesia taking place. In the example of Jason Bourne from the movie “The Bourne Identity” it is shown that he has had a complete memory loss of his past which is known as pure retrograde amnesia. Bourne suffered from wounds and a massive head injury which caused him to forget all of his life experiences of his past. Retrograde amnesia can change a person’s life forever, and this is accurately reflected in “The Bourne Identity”. The causes of retrograde amnesia are still under research but it is known that this type of amnesia is most commonly related to a head injury of some sort. Retrograde amnesia is believed to be caused by loss of consciousness, brain damage, or even some kind of psychological trauma. Amnesia may also be caused by strokes or seizures or anything else which may facilitate brain injury. Amnesia in general is a term used to describe memory loss. There are several different types of memory loss, for example anterograde amnesia is another type of amnesia where a person is not able to remember and store new information. One can only imagine what a person would go through if his memory has faded away and he is unable to remember anything about his life. Retrograde amnesia [1] causes disruption in the consolidation which prevents long term memory from forming. Something that makes this amnesia different from other psychological disorders is that the human being acts perfectly normal. An amnesiac’s general knowledge and level of
Syed Nabeel Hasan
Professor Alger
19 April 2012
Psychology 1313
MWF 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM
Retrograde Amnesia Ever wondered how it would feel like to start from scratch in life? How it would feel like to not remember anything or anyone? Retrograde amnesia has caused many people to lose their memory all over the world. Retrograde amnesia is [1] a specific type of amnesia where a person is unable to recall events that have occurred in the past prior to the amnesia taking place. In the example of Jason Bourne from the movie “The Bourne Identity” it is shown that he has had a complete memory loss of his past which is known as pure retrograde amnesia. Bourne suffered from wounds and a massive head injury which caused him to forget all of his life experiences of his past. Retrograde amnesia can change a person’s life forever, and this is accurately reflected in “The Bourne Identity”. The causes of retrograde amnesia are still under research but it is known that this type of amnesia is most commonly related to a head injury of some sort. Retrograde amnesia is believed to be caused by loss of consciousness, brain damage, or even some kind of psychological trauma. Amnesia may also be caused by strokes or seizures or anything else which may facilitate brain injury. Amnesia in general is a term used to describe memory loss. There are several different types of memory loss, for example anterograde amnesia is another type of amnesia where a person is not able to remember and store new information. One can only imagine what a person would go through if his memory has faded away and he is unable to remember anything about his life. Retrograde amnesia [1] causes disruption in the consolidation which prevents long term memory from forming. Something that makes this amnesia different from other psychological disorders is that the human being acts perfectly normal. An amnesiac’s general knowledge and level of
Cited: 1. Hockenbury, Don H., and Sandra E. Hockenbury. "Chapter 6- Memory." Psychology. 5th ed. New York: Worth, 2010. 282-83. Print 2. Mayo Clinic Staff. "Amnesia - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/amnesia/DS01041>. 3. MovieWeb. "The Bourne Identity Synopsis - MovieWeb.com." Movie Trailers, New Movies, Movie News, 2012 Movies, DVDs - MovieWeb.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. <http://www.movieweb.com/movie/the-bourne-identity/synopsis>. 4. The Bourne Identity. Dir. Doug Liman. Perf. Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper. Universal Studios, 2002. DVD.