"The facts" on why they cannot forget #MeToo

In this era of the #MeToo movement, where powerful men are being held accountable for their actions, it is difficult to process the tens of thousands of sexual assault stories told by survivors. Some people try to brush them aside as merely ‘confusions’ or ‘misunderstandings’, or even try to question the victim’s credibility. Here’s why memories of assault, or any terrifying experience, are never misunderstandings.

Some traumas are psychologically impossible to forget, however hard the victim may try. The autonomic nervous system in humans has two parts, the sympathetic one- which is dominant in everyday life- and the parasympathetic part, which becomes dominant in case of a dangerous situation. It is responsible for the ‘fight or flight’ reflex, resulting in an ‘adrenaline rush’, or increased heart rate and dilation of the blood vessels, which improves blood flow to muscles if one wishes to fight or run.

The amygdala is the part of the brain that processes information in threatening situations. It is known to be associated with emotional learning and memory. It further sends signals to the hypothalamus, which in turn releases stress hormones like epinephrine to control alertness. It also activates the production of some proteins in the hippocampus, the region of the brain responsible for long-term memories. The brain also forms an association with neutral stimuli, like the objects around the victim at the time of attack, and the attack itself. This can be a sight, smell, or taste, but it is always associated with the terrifying experience.

The amygdala receives this information by two routes, the low road- where signals are rapid but not distinct, and the high road- where signals travel through other sensory areas in the brain, so they are more detailed. For example, if you encounter a shooter, the low road signals cause you to freeze, while the high road signals cause you to look for an escape route. Studies have shown that these explicitly detailed memories are a reflection of the terror of the experience. So the more intense a memory of the attack is, the more terrifying it has been. These memories are vivid and persistent. Because they activate the amygdala, these painful memories are very well remembered.

Of course, this mechanism is a lot more complex and intricate than described here, and there are several studies and research papers available on the internet for more information.

So instead of doubting the credibility of an assault victim, we must think about the horrifying memory that will haunt them for the rest of their lives, and respect them for sharing it with the world.