Clergy abuse is something that nobody should ever have to experience. Having to deal with a person who should be trusted acting in such a horrible manner is traumatic. In fact, it’s so traumatic that it can lead to changes in memories regarding the events.
It’s possible that a person who dealt with clergy abuse may remember some details clearly, but others may be blurry, fragmented or difficult to place in any specific order. This doesn’t mean that the experience was imagined or unimportant. Instead, it has to do with how trauma impacts memories that involve fear, secrecy, betrayal or authority.
Memory isn’t always like a video recording. During traumatic events, it’s possible that the brain will focus on survival instead of accurately capturing what’s happening. You may remember snippets of the event, such as a smell, phrase, room or feeling, but you don’t remember everything.
Presence of clergy complicates the matter
Clergy abuse can have added complications because the person who caused the harm is associated with community respect and spiritual power through a trusted institution. Because of the institutional standards, survivors of clergy abuse were likely taught to stay quiet and obey. Those pressures can shape how memories are remembered later in life.
A survivor of clergy abuse may not remember exact dates, but they may remember the setting, such as a retreat or specific event. The lack of details may make the survivor feel ashamed, even though that shame is misplaced. Understanding how trauma can impact memory can help survivors as they try to work through their emotions about the circumstances. It may also be beneficial for them to work with someone familiar with these matters so they can seek the compensation they deserve.