"Memories also can be significantly influenced by a trusted person (e.g., therapist, parent involved in a custody dispute) who suggests abuse as an explanation for symptoms/problems, despite initial lack of memory of such abuse." In addition, they stated "While aspects of the alleged abuse situation, as well as the context in which the memories emerge, can contribute to the assessment, there is no completely accurate way of determining the validity of reports in the absence of corroborating information."

This statement has since been replaced.

"1. That the AMA recognize that few cases in which adults make accusations of childhood sexual abuse based on recovered memories can be proved or disproved and it is not yet known how to distinguish true memories from imagined events in these cases."

"Given that the accuracy of memories cannot be determined without corroboration, psychologists should use caution in responding to questions from clients about pursuing legal action. ... The available scientific and clinical evidence does not allow accurate, inaccurate and fabricated memories to be distinguished in the absence of independent corroboration."

"It is well established for example that a trusted person such as a therapist can influence an individual's reports, which would include memories of abuse....The AMA considers the technique of 'memory enhancement' in the area of childhood sexual abuse to be fraught with problems of potential misapplication."

	Most people who were sexually abused as children remember all or part of what happened to them.
	However, it is possible for memories of abuse that have been forgotten for a long time to be remembered. The mechanism(s) by which such delayed recall occur(s) is/are not currently well understood.
	It is also possible to construct convincing pseudo memories for events that never occurred. The mechanism(s) by which these pseudo memories occur(s) is/are not currently well understood.

The APA Board of Directors enlarged upon the Working Group's interim statement by stating:

	"There is no single set of symptoms which automatically means that a person was a victim of childhood abuse."
	Therapists must take a neutral position on childhood abuse memories.
	The public should beware of a therapist who diagnoses childhood abuse at the start of therapy in the absence of evidence and memories
	Beware of therapists who "dismiss claims .... of sexual abuse without exploration."
	Select a licensed practitioner with "with training and experience"

"In summary, given the meager and conflicting scientific data regarding the validity of reported recovered memory of sexual abuse, the Michigan Psychological Association at this time does not support the modification of any existing statutes of limitations in respect to civil and criminal complaints stemming from such reported recovered memory. Given the nature of the scientific evidence to date, there is substantial potential for harm in treating claims of recovered memories of sexual abuse presumptively valid. We must await the accumulation of pertinent and scientifically valid research on this issue before recommending the routine or uncritical acceptance of recovered memory in the absence of corroborative evidence."

"The American Psychiatric Association believes that past life regression therapy is pure quackery. As in other areas of medicine, psychiatric diagnosis and treatment today is based on objective scientific evidence. There is no accepted scientific evidence to support the existence of past lives let alone the validity of past life regression therapy."

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