THINKING ALLOWED

Daily Pilot, February 3, 2003

Remembering what couldn't have been

I know my picture is on the top of this column for some reason, but I can't remember why.

Oh, that's right, it was because I was lost in a shopping mall and the Daily Pilot has plastered my face all over the paper so my parents can find me. I was wandering near the escalator, near the pet store, when I realized I had lost my mom. I was traumatized and scared and remember some woman asking me if I needed help. She alerted the authorities, and here we are.

OK. Really. I'm not going crazy. (Or should I say, "crazier.") I am simply giving you an example of one of the false memories that esteemed UC Irvine professor Elizabeth Loftus has successfully planted in the minds of willing volunteers.

Loftus, who has been appointed to the psychology and criminology schools at UCI, has been an expert witness or consultant in hundreds of cases involving "repressed memories," in which a person claims to remember something from his or her childhood that is so traumatic that it was pushed into the subconscious.

On Thursday night, she was the honorary speaker at a Salon Night, hosted by New Century in Irvine, and captivated her audience with her research showing how she successfully planted vivid memories of false invents in the mind's of her subjects.

In her research, she was able to plant bogus recollections of distressing events in about 25% of her adult volunteers. Loftus' "shopping mall" study, and others that have followed, have gotten the attention of other psychologists and have made people think twice about what they think they remember.

She joked with her audience Thursday, saying that the rash of "repressed memory" cases in the court should prompt judicial officials to change the oath to, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth or whatever it is you think you remember?"

The new UCI professor showcases not only strong scientific evidence but the savvy and thick skin that comes along with telling believed victims of abuse that they have been mistaken.

Her wit and sharpness add to her natural speaking ability, making it hard to refute what is coming out of her mouth. But her intent is not to bowl you over with facts and data to the point where you are mercilessly converted to her way of thinking. She likes to spark debate and discussion and likes to be challenged.

She greeted questions about her data and answered them as best she could. She was not afraid to say, "I don't know," and was not afraid to say what she thinks.

Loftus is disturbed by the recent Catholic church scandals, but not for the reasons one might assume.

She is upset because priests are being accused of various crimes that have been discovered through the course of hypnotherapy or some other form of deep subconscious scouring.

Her studies have proven that, with repetitive suggestion, and with some basis in the truth (i.e. the factual name of the hometown mall) some people can be convinced of something that never happened. This is especially dangerous when criminal charges are involved and the case hinges on the accuser's supposed memory of abuse.

Remember the McMartin preschool molestation case in Manhattan Beach, Calif.?

Loftus was the key expert witness at that trial. She has testified in a number of other famous cases such as the Hillside strangler, the Abscam cases, Oliver North, the officers accused of beating Rodney King, Michael Jackson and the Oklahoma bombings.

Loftus was No. 85 on the 2002 list of most eminent psychologists of the 20th century and the top-ranked woman.

Her time the faculty at UCI should be memorable. And if not, she can make it that way.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/pilot/columnists/la-dpt-allowed03feb03,1,2547028.story

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