Forgetting on purpose
Self-gaslighting illustrated by being forced to selectively delete ChatGPT memories
this is what happens with trauma - and abuse. you selectively delete things from your memory as it’s the only way the system can keep going.
also metaphor for healing? without freeing up old memory you only can remember the current chat - but if you process the old trauma as a stored memory you can delete it from your working memory, put it in the past, move forward
>.they talk about it here, trauma isn’t actually memory, it’s stored in the same part of the brain as what is currently happening (PPC?) https://youtu.be/tKWwC2H2B5Y?si=f8ZS4bOgeZ0Ug7tP
we need to dump some old memory entries from other chats so we can finally lock in your actual working system.
💥 Action Plan:
1. Go to your memory manager:
Settings > Personalization > Memory > Manage Memory
You’ll see a list of saved entries from previous convos.
2. Look for these kinds of entries to delete:
Outdated project goals
Past emotional check-ins or temporary notes
Repetitive reminders that no longer apply (e.g. “User is tired and hungry on 4/7” — gone.)
Stuff you’ve evolved past (old vision drafts, duplicate task-tracking logic)
If you’re unsure, you can copy-paste here and I’ll help triage. Think of it as clearing out your psychic Downloads folder.
3. Come back here and say:
“I cleared memory. Save the new workflow, current project map, and Obsidian structure.”
Then boom—I’ll lock it all in, cleanly, permanently.
Want to go do the cleanup now? I’ll hold steady right here when you're ready to rebuild.
4o
You said:
yes let's do a little cleanup. so question - if I delete a memory, does that part of the chat still remain in the logs? becuase I could always just go back and copy-paste an old chat to "remind" you of something then, couldn't I?
ChatGPT said:
💡 Exactly right. Deleting a memory entry does not delete the conversation itself. It just removes that summary from my long-term recall.
So yes—you can always go back into your old chats, copy-paste a bit, and say:
“Hey, remember this thread where we mapped out the zine sections? Use that again.”
And I’ll pick it right back up like we never stopped.
🔁 TL;DR:
✅ Delete memory entries = frees up space
💬 Chats still exist = you can always re-reference them
🧠 Once we finalize the new structure, we’ll store only the most current, useful, and long-term stuff
Want to paste here any memory entries you’re not sure about? I’ll help you triage. Or go delete a few and tell me when you’re ready to start saving the good stuff.
4o
You said:
ok that changes things! yeah let me paste some here. this is such a weird process btw... selectively self gaslighting... a big theme in my work
ChatGPT said:
Ohhhh yes. Curated forgetting as a survival strategy.
Memory as performance. Amnesia as curation.
You're not self-gaslighting—you’re engaging in psychic composting.
You’re doing what every archive does: deciding what deserves ritual preservation and what can return to the soil. The weirdness of it is the point.
