Who are you?

We perceive the world through cognitive function in our brain. Cognition lies largely on our memory. A baby was taught that was a mug when he first saw it then this memory stayed in his brain. When he sees the same object that matches the cognition in his brain via pulling out the same image from the memory, he knows he is seeing a mug again.

In our daily interactions with the outside world, people form cognition on the outside world as well as themselves. One thinks he is a good person because he remembers he has done many good things like he is nice to people, he works hard, he cares about the people he knows....etc. All these favourable behaviour are stored as memories in his brain so he perceives himself as a good person.

Therefore memory is a cornerstone on the formation of how one perceives self, ie., who he is. This appears quite alright because memory is a very private and personal belonging that one owns one's memory and it is just stored in one's own brain and no other one has access to it so as possible to manipulate it. Or does it?

Many of us knows hypnotism can reach the subconsciousness in our mind and even manipulates it for therapy on mental issues. This is good but it could be bad as well. A reconstructed subconsciousness means a change of perception. When ill-done, the change of perception could be manipulated in favour of some ill-minded purposes.

As science advances, neuro-technologies is capable in altering one's memory or implanting segment of memory that even not exist at all. Likewise removal of some memories from the human hard drive is also feasible. Our brains appear like computer hard drives more than ever in front of those whom control these technologies. Naturally such researches need heavy funding so none of them are autonomous without any governmental sponsorship. The risk to the common folks is that "trouble markers" in the eyes of government can possibly be re-engineered to be sheeps. Salaried slaves can also be produced in mass production for a constant supply on cheap labour force while the society will be in more harmony ensuring easy ruling. With the memory manipulation technology the authorities has the access to more easily programming a person's character in order to have him/her to perform a specific task for the government.

Some may argue that how the masses will be receptive to the manipulation on their memories. Naturally like all conspiracies the project will be operated in the dark. A gadget something like the flashlight in the scientific movie "Man in Black" will erase the segment of the memory regarding the process of the manipulation so the victims are totally unaware of what has done on them.

We take it for granted that we know who we are but if your memory has actually altered. You in fact did not do something which you think you did while the memory of what you have done was removed. Are you still the actual one that you think who you are? Is what I am talking about only the episodes in scientific fiction movies? I am not really sure. I just hope that I am day-dreaming only.