Why do you think GFs cause memory loss?

[King Sean]

I think its due to a strain that they put on the mind. Maybe it is a price you must pay in order for them to lend you their power. The memories dont even seem to be lost, rather they are suppressed, as Squall and the others eventually remember their time at the orpahnage after going back there. What do you think?

 

[Bambi]

Well the idea they came up with in the game (when you're at Trabia in the basketball court) is that the GF makes its place in your brain where memories are, so that's why you forget shit.

 

[Noblesse Oblige]

Both of you are actually right, Guardian Forces do occupy the space that is in your mind, and because of this, they are probably blocking the user's long term memory, preventing them from remembering, however the memory can be returned if someone who had no contact with the GF's and had contact with the person in the past reminds them of their memories together and tells them about their shared memory there, they would remember.

Then again, it is a theory and is not proven.

 

[Linnaete]

The theories seem rather plausible and convincing, especially Kev's because it makes sense. I haven't played FFVIII for a long time so I can't remember (not pun intended ) the exact details and what was mentioned about it in the game.

I do feel that this loss of memory thing because of the GFs is something Squaresoft simply slapped on to the storyline at nearly the last moment of writing in order to avoid huge plot holes. Therefore it seemed rather forced for me when I encountered it.

 

[Fusionist]

I like to personally fool around with that concept in terms of fanfiction and my own imagination. It's not canon (as others said, the game says the GFs make room in the user's mind which effects their memories), but I like thinking that that the GFs aren't exactly happy that they're serving these lowly humans so they do some big internal "screw you" and eff up the SeeDs memories xD

 

[DeadFantasy]

Like others have said, the GF I think, draws the characters in VIII power from a certain section of their brain (which is where their memory is stored) and over time, they start to lose their long-term memory. Which I do find a bit strange since they do remember the orphange. But what I dont understand is how do they know the GF causes it? Mind you I haven't played in a while so please clear that up for me XD.

 

[Dean Winchester]

Well the game itself explains that it is mainly the price you must pay for the usage of Guardian Forces since they allocate themselves inside your subconscious, mostly the areas that are related to long term memories. However, I do concur that this explanation was kinda rushed in and it would have been more believeable to say that they forgot because they were sent to adoptive homes at such a tender age. We have to be realist, most people do not usually remembers most of their childhood so it would have been natural, specially for Zell, to forget.

The Guardian Force excuse seem quite unplanned, rushed, and kinda...well >.> I don't know.

 

[Lord Raven]

Personally, I've been in the rather deadpan boat that thinks that factor was just in to explain the really shitty plot twist about them all growing up in the same orphanage. Also, I don't think they said it was necessarily the GF itself, just the magic you drew.

 

[HighwindPilot]

To act as a deus ex plot device, so that we could be enlightened about this major character truth at just the right time in the game.

EDIT:

Looking back, my answer didn't make much sense, because what we're dealing with here is Episodic Memory, not Semantic. The idea of "remapping" doesn't really make sense. The only thing episodic memory maps out are different items in Semantic memory. In other words, it's deductive or conclusive of the different things we recognize through Semantic memory.

But episodic memories themselves are "one shot" learned experiences for the brain that come to be stored in the hippocampus component of the brain. This idea of memories in "storage" is actually why they were eventually able to recall this forgotten history in their lives.

The type of memory loss caused by the GFs actually sounds most like "Retrograde Amnesia", which is a distinct inability to recall some memory or memories of the past, beyond simply "forgetting". In reality, this type of thing is caused by brain damage or trauma.

Could it be possible that dealing with something as powerful as the GFs could actually just be harmful to the brain? Maybe it does "force" its way in there over the hippocampus.

And maybe we wouldn't have to figure all this out if the writers would have bothered to put real effort to it. <<

 

[Apparent Amarant]

Personally, I've been in the rather deadpan boat that thinks that factor was just in to explain the really shitty plot twist about them all growing up in the same orphanage. Also, I don't think they said it was necessarily the GF itself, just the magic you drew.

This is basically what it is. I personally thought it was a terrible plot twist as well. At least they shouldn't have all been from the same orphanage. They could have made just a couple of them, but oh well.

The easiest way to explain it is that the GF takes it's place in the users brain and causes some form of remapping that leaves either no space for long term memory or the GF uses the pathways that memory would usually travel to send commands or receive them.

Like Phantom limbs for instance. It's believe they are caused by the limb being removed and areas close to the section of the brain belonging to the limb(lets say the right hand) move in on the hands territory and start to remap the area. So an area close to the hand in the brains mapping(the face for instance) takes over part of the area and then when the face is touched a strange sensation can be felt in the "phantom hand" that doesn't exist.

So what happens is the GF plants itself in that part of the brain and remaps all of the pathways leaving none for long term memories to be transferred. So the memories are still there but can not be called upon at will.

 

[SapphireStar]

I agree with Kelly. It gets mentioned in Trabia basketball court. GFs are stored in the brain where memories are usually stored. Pretty deep to be honest. I myself like this idea, its a powerful form of amnesia almost.

 

[blakstang98]

Basically if we can think of the mind space as a physical apparatus, then basically the GF takes up a chunk of it. If you have a glass full of water, then drop a ball in the water, the space the ball fills replaces the water that once sat in the glass. With this same concept, the memory has no where to go and leaves the head, or is suppressed as others mentioned. If suppressed, then it would basically be the water being compressed in order for the ball to fit into it. Sorry to make it all scientific, but that's how I see it.

 

[King Sean]

Personally, I've been in the rather deadpan boat that thinks that factor was just in to explain the really shitty plot twist about them all growing up in the same orphanage. Also, I don't think they said it was necessarily the GF itself, just the magic you drew.

I am not sure that the magic had anything to do with it. The magic seemed like a small aspect of it because they drew it from monsters and I am not sure the magic was kept in their minds. I think that Blackstang is right. The GF's might occupy a big chunk of their minds and thus their memory capacity is lowered due to that.