How to get bad memories out of your head

​New York: It is possible for us to intentionally forget past experiences by changing how we think about the context of those memories, says a study.

The findings have a range of potential applications centred on enhancing desired memories, such as developing new educational tools, or diminishing harmful memories, including treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Memory theorists have known for long that we use context -- or the situation we are in, including sights, sounds, smells, where we are, who we are with -- to organise and retrieve our memories.

But this study wanted to explore whether and how people can intentionally forget past experiences. The researchers showed participants images of outdoor scenes, such as forests, mountains and beaches, as they studied two lists of random words.