A few months ago, Cn2r published a dossier on the links between memory and trauma, looking at how traumatic memories can be altered, fragmented or even erased. Following on from this, today we return to an equally intriguing phenomenon: dissociative amnesia. Formerly known as psychogenic amnesia, and then considered a neurotic symptom linked to repression, it is now defined as an inability to remember important autobiographical information that may be linked to trauma or stress. Classified as a specific dissociative disorder in manuals such as DSM-5 and ICD-11, it can also appear as a symptom in other pathologies, notably post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Even today, it remains the subject of lively debate within the scientific, legal and medical communities. Indeed, it was the focus of a webinar organized in 2022 by Cn2r, in collaboration with Olivier Dodier, to address its mechanisms, conceptual limits and implications. Its clinical and legal implications are major: how can we guarantee appropriate care for victims, while ensuring the reliability of testimony in cases of sexual violence? This dossier examines these questions by exploring dissociative amnesia from several angles, while highlighting the recent scientific controversies surrounding this disorder.