Why We Shouldn’t Let Governments Inside Our Minds

A visualization of the White House (U.S. government) in control of the human brain.

A criminal commits a crime, but does not remember it. A protestor walking the streets suddenly forgets why they are protesting. Technological advances, while not nearly this advanced yet, put us closer and closer to gaining a true understanding of the human brain, and more importantly, controlling it. When we eventually do gain this power to control memories, though, governments should not be the ones in control because it threatens identity, enables abuse of power, and redefines humanity.

Memories

Firstly, why are memories so important? From a philosophical and psychological standpoint, memories are what define who we are. Memories shape our personality, our life decisions, and our relationships. Every event that occurred in a person's life is stored somewhere in their mind, with the brain using it to continuously improve. As we collect memories, we grow as a person and constantly change who we are. It may seem hard to prove that memories are directly related to our personality, but studies on cases of amnesia have shown significant personality shifts where individuals no longer recognize loved ones or maintain the same core values they once had. If our memories are just something that can be controlled at the click of a button, then governments can control people at the deepest level. Allowing a control of memory is something that risks mass altering human identity, which is something that no one should have control of.

Governments are what the people expect to be steady, controlled entities. However, the world is never perfect, and neither are all governments. A peaceful government can just as easily be replaced by an evil regime, and scientific powers do not discriminate between who is using them. Abuse of all powers is always a risk, but the power to control memories sets a whole new level. Governments could simply erase opposition by making people forget all the reasons they want to revolt, effectively keeping people in a perpetual state of captivity. Even worse, people would not even know they were being manipulated. In the 1960s, Project MK-Ultra was run as a program to explore mind control and new interrogation methods using the drug LSD at the time. Eventually it ended up as a major scandal, but it shows that even democratic governments have already attempted to target the mind in order to gain power. If governments have abused power before, giving them even more invasive control could be astronomically more dangerous.

The Courts

Then come some logistical problems with this power. America’s Founding Fathers did not write the Constitution with mind control in their thinking, and many parts of our normal system would fail to function. For example, the justice system would fail to work at all. If someone forgets a crime they committed, are they still guilty? After all, if you do not know you committed a crime, there are separate laws that protect you. Also, if memories can be controlled and read, could those memories be used as evidence? It may seem like that is a valid use, but after a point, maybe perfection is not what the judicial branch should be aiming for. Being able to read memories may always give the right verdict, but courts have to maintain a sense of humanity. To judge another person, the act of being human argues that we should make a decision to the best of our human ability, whether it be right or wrong. We may always want the right decision, but it is crucial to not forget that courts are still interactions between human beings. We were not created to be able to read inside the hidden minds of others, and that should be how things continue.

All That Bad?

This may seem dreary, seeing only authoritarian government control of all its subjects in the future. However, there are some real benefits, especially in the medical field. For people with serious brain issues such as PTSD or trauma, clearing or altering their memories could heal them far more than any modern medicine or therapy could. For millions of Americans, this technology could also mean the end of lifelong addiction to drugs or other things. When used correctly, memory altering could reduce suffering significantly. Still, it is possible that memory altering could become an addiction in itself. With the amount of joy people may get to feel, it is human instinct to try and get more. As a powerful scientific tool, it makes sense that this power be used in another scientific field. However, medical use, which is defined strictly as voluntary, regulated healthcare, should never be conflated with government use.

Memories are what make us who we are, and are what give rise to basic, fundamental concepts such as truth and freedom, which billions have fought for and fight to gain every single day. Achieving control over memories is not just dangerous for the current population; it is a disrespect to all of humanity. A society where memories can be controlled is not just one that is manipulated; it is one where humanity is replaced by monotony.