Open Questions and Challenges

While we believe this ritual does have therapeutic effects (see personal reflection below), one open question is about the speed at which these therapeutic effects can take place. Our ritual as currently designed can be performed within an hour. How quickly is it possible to form new memories or associations surrounding an artifact that has painful memories associated with it? What if memory is stronger than our attempts to control or rehabilitate it?

In our feedback session, we discussed whether the printer would be best deployed as a DIY toolkit that individuals buy for themselves, or whether it might be more effective inside of a professional therapy session. What is the social aspect of re-encountering memories or the process of letting go – is this a process best done on one's own or with others? If alone, how much guidance might be required when designing for forgetting (i.e. did we need even more detailed instructions)? If with others, what does this offer that performing the ritual alone would not? How do we process negative emotions associated with memory (such as grief or anger) individually vs. socially, and what might be the benefits of each?