The Effects of Shearing Bad Memories

Psychologist Jamie O'Neill found the writing process so helpful he decided to test the effects of shearing bad memories in a more controlled way. He brought college students who were taking introductory psychology, bring him into the lab and they either wrote about superficial topics or about dramatic experiences for four consecutive days. Both sets of students, the ones who'd written the stories that had so moved jamie and the group who just set down more mundane thoughts, granted permission for their medical records to be tracked for six months. "As a control study, it wasn't that impressive. But as a case study, it was a profound, really was a profound experience," says O'Neill.