This study considered Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. This essay focuses on Paul D and his journey to recover his manhood since he had been deprived of it as a slave. I have examined Paul D’s character through the lens of masculinity studies that are framed by issues of ethnicity and race. The essay also considers Beloved’s effect on Paul D and how she helped him release his repressed memories. In turn, Paul D helps the love of his life, Sethe, to heal and she too releases her repressed memories.  Finally, the essay claims that Paul D went through many stages in his lifetime; most importantly he was a slave, who becomes a free man and develops into an agent for healing.

Debatten om bortträngda minnen och hur vi inkodar traumatiska minnen har pågått sedan 80-talet. Forskningen på området är splittrad och ofta hörs bara extrema röster. Studier i andra länder har undersökt hur psykologer och psykologstudenter förhåller sig till ämnet men det saknas forskning i Sverige. Syftet med denna studie var att genom en kvantitativ tvärsnittsdesign med en digital enkät undersöka svenska psykologers och psykologstudenters uppfattning av bortträngda minnen. Ett bekvämlighetsurval användes. 201 personer deltog, varav 38% (n=77) studenter, 6% (n=13) PTP-psykologer och 55% (n=111) legitimerade psykologer. Deltagarna var mellan 20 och 79 år gamla. Könsfördelningen var följande: 79% (n=159) kvinnor, 19% (n=39) män och 1% (n=3) ickebinära/annat. T-tester, en envägs-Anovor, två mixed-ANOVA genomfördes för att analysera skillnader i svar beroende på teoretisk inriktning, mängd erfarenhet av arbete med trauma respektive student eller psykolog. Resultatet visade att majoriteten av psykologer och psykologstudenter ansåg att minnen av traumatiska händelser kan vara otillgängliga under en längre tid. Uppfattningen påverkades inte av teoretisk inriktning eller utbildningsnivå. Däremot påverkades den av mängden erfarenhet av att arbeta med trauma. Vidare visade resultaten att deltagarna uppfattar minnen av traumatiska händelser annorlunda jämfört med andra minnen. Samtidigt är ämnet komplicerat och det kan vara problematiskt att uttala sig om med hjälp av en enkät. Studien visar att delade åsikter finns även inom den svenska psykologkåren och att debatten om bortträngda minnen fortlever. Slutsatser av resultatet diskuteras. / The debate regarding repressed memories and how memory of trauma is encoded has been active since the 80’s. The research is divided, and it is often the extreme views that takes up space in the debate. Research regarding psychologist and psychology students opinions on the subject has been conducted but research on Swedish psychologists opinions is lacking. The purpose of this study was to examine Swedish psychologists and psychology students opinions using a quantitative cross-sectional design with a digital survey. A convenience selection was used. 201 people participated in the study, 38% (n=77) psychology students, 6% (n=3) psychologists in training and 55% (n=111) psychologists. The participants were between 20 and 79 years of age. The gender distribution was as follows: 79% (n=159) women, 19% (n=39) men and 1% (n=3) non binary/other. T-tests, one-way ANOVA as well as two mixed ANOVA were used to analyze depending on theoretical orientation, amount of experience working with trauma and whether the participant were a student or psychologist. The result showed that a majority of psychologists and psychology students believed that memories of traumatic events can be inaccessible for long periods of time. This opinion was not influenced by theoretical orientation or level of education. It was, however, influenced by the amount of experience the participants had working with trauma. Furthermore, the results showed that participants perceive memories of traumatic events differently compared to other memories. However, the topic is complex and difficult to examine using only a survey. The study shows that there are divided opinions within the Swedish psychology profession and that the debate continues. Conclusions of the results are discussed.

Dissociation is commonly associated with sexual crimes or other forms of trauma where a person experienced a threat to the existence or survival of the self. During dissociation the ego may split in such a way that ego-states (subselves or segments of the greater personality) form to encapsulate feelings of guilt, pain, fear, and anger. If dissociation is severe, sufferers will have no conscious recollection of the sexual trauma as it is deeply repressed in the subconscious. This may result in symptoms/pathology later in life. Research indicated that hypnosis (due to its dissociative nature) is favourable as treatment modality for pathology/symptomatology associated with trauma and dissociation. This research study investigates the development of ego-states during experiences of sexual trauma and hypnosis (especially Medical Hypno-analysis and Ego-State Therapy) as effective treatment modality within the field of psycho-education. It proposes a hypnotherapy model where the diagnostic tools as indicated by the Medical Hypno-analysis model, are being used to determine the existence of repressed memories related to sexual trauma. The therapeutic processes as indicated by the Ego-State Therapy model, are being used to resolve and work through the core repressed traumatic experiences through the mobilization of associated and related ego-states. This study presents four case studies and discusses their clinical diagnostic procedures and therapeutic processes. The case studies illustrate that certain symptomatology/pathology experienced later in life may be the result of repressed memories and the formation of maladapted ego-states earlier in life when sexual trauma was experienced. Highly charged emotional and negative beliefs were set in the ego-states and could only be disarmed from their destructive content through regressions and hypnotherapy. A detailed discussion of the proposed hypnotherapy model and its application and concerns regarding its application within the field of psycho-education are also presented. The results of this study indicate that the proposed hypnotherapy model (the combination of Medical Hypno-analysis and Ego-State Therapy) can be used effectively and successfully when working with survivors and symptomatology/pathology associated with sexual crimes. / Educational Studies / D. Ed.

Dissociation is commonly associated with sexual crimes or other forms of trauma where a person experienced a threat to the existence or survival of the self. During dissociation the ego may split in such a way that ego-states (subselves or segments of the greater personality) form to encapsulate feelings of guilt, pain, fear, and anger. If dissociation is severe, sufferers will have no conscious recollection of the sexual trauma as it is deeply repressed in the subconscious. This may result in symptoms/pathology later in life. Research indicated that hypnosis (due to its dissociative nature) is favourable as treatment modality for pathology/symptomatology associated with trauma and dissociation. This research study investigates the development of ego-states during experiences of sexual trauma and hypnosis (especially Medical Hypno-analysis and Ego-State Therapy) as effective treatment modality within the field of psycho-education. It proposes a hypnotherapy model where the diagnostic tools as indicated by the Medical Hypno-analysis model, are being used to determine the existence of repressed memories related to sexual trauma. The therapeutic processes as indicated by the Ego-State Therapy model, are being used to resolve and work through the core repressed traumatic experiences through the mobilization of associated and related ego-states. This study presents four case studies and discusses their clinical diagnostic procedures and therapeutic processes. The case studies illustrate that certain symptomatology/pathology experienced later in life may be the result of repressed memories and the formation of maladapted ego-states earlier in life when sexual trauma was experienced. Highly charged emotional and negative beliefs were set in the ego-states and could only be disarmed from their destructive content through regressions and hypnotherapy. A detailed discussion of the proposed hypnotherapy model and its application and concerns regarding its application within the field of psycho-education are also presented. The results of this study indicate that the proposed hypnotherapy model (the combination of Medical Hypno-analysis and Ego-State Therapy) can be used effectively and successfully when working with survivors and symptomatology/pathology associated with sexual crimes. / Educational Studies / D. Ed.