Forum Villain
A swift kick in the head might work.
Honestly, though, I have no idea.
"Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person that doesn't get it."
Jupiterian Local
Anesthesia would probably be a more consistent way to do it than booze or attempting Easy Amnesia. When you're "put under", there is a period where you're still conscious and responsive, but will have no memory of it after the fact.
Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
^That would still require you to do your planning while high on anaesthesia, and you'd later have the knowledge of trying to form a plan that you don't remember.
Really, I don't think this is a trope that could realistically work unless the person has a preexisting anterograde amnesia.
edited 9th Mar '11 7:39:50 AM by INUH
Infinite Tree: an experimental story
Jupiterian Local
Well, I didn't say it was practical, just that it was a better idea that smacking yourself in the noggin or drinking yourself blind and hoping you forget the right thing.
Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Toph-Nata
Depends on the person you could have the character self-induce a hypnosis on themselves, but you'll get cries of that not realistic from people.
edited 10th Mar '11 2:53:40 AM by Vyctornian
"Every anime character is bisexual until proven otherwise." - A comment a found on youtube.
Well, repressed memories are kind of a Real Life Memory Gambit. (Note: I know their existence is controversial, but if you look at the research, it's clear that both repressed memories and false memories exist. The trick is telling them apart.) A child is betrayed by an adult that they depend upon for their survival. If they are aware of the betrayal, they will act in ways that might turn that adult against them, and jeopardize the relationship they're dependent on. So they repress the betrayal.
But it seems like only children can do it, and they can't consciously control it. Plus you need a very specific kind of situation for it to happen.
If I'm asking for advice on a story idea, don't tell me it can't be done.
The Memory Gambit is a specific type of Batman Gambit which involves making yourself forget the gambit in question so that the people you're manipulating will either believe you more convincingly or to prevent yourself from being manipulated by what you already know.
Is there ANY way in real life that this could be done? I know that time and inebriation are two ways to degrade memory, but not specific memories. How about hypnosis? Could that work?