The Reality of ‘Severance’: Exploring the Science of Separating Work and Personal Life
The aspiration to perfectly balance work and personal life is often discussed, but what if these two spheres could be entirely segregated? Apple TV+’s series “Severance” explores this concept, revealing the inherent complexities of such a division.
Is Memory Severance Science Fiction or Future Possibility?
While the fictional surgical procedure in “Severance,” used by Lumon Industries to separate work and personal recollections, is currently in the realm of science fiction, specialists in neuroscience suggest the underlying concept might not be entirely unattainable.
“I believe we are not far removed from scenarios resembling this,” stated Dr. Vijay Agarwal, a neurosurgeon who consulted on “Severance,” in an interview with Scientific American.
Understanding the Premise of ‘Severance’
For those unfamiliar with the series, “Severance” centers on a group of employees who undergo a procedure involving experimental brain chips. These chips are designed to bifurcate their consciousness into distinct work and personal states.
This division results in each character possessing a work-centric “innie” and a home-focused “outie,” neither aware of the other’s experiences. The show recently concluded its second season and has been greenlit for a third.
Neurological Perspectives on Memory Separation
Despite the show’s captivating narrative, Dr. Bing, a neurologist with Mayo Clinic training and a content creator, clarified in a recent TikTok video that complete memory severance as depicted is not currently feasible based on our neurological understanding.
“Memories are distributed across networks of neurons,” Dr. Bing explained, “and isolating a portion of your life without impacting others is not neurologically straightforward.”
Dr. Daniel Orringer, an associate professor of neurosurgery at NYU Langone Health, mentioned to Time Magazine that severing both hippocampi and fornices could disrupt short-term memory.
Real-World Analogies to Memory Division
Intriguingly, certain aspects of memory separation observed in “Severance” have parallels in everyday life. Consider the distinction between our waking and dreaming states.
Dr. Steve Ramirez, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, noted to BU Today that just as a character’s off-work actions influence their work experiences in the show, our daytime activities shape our nighttime dreams.
Furthermore, dormant memories, not readily accessible, also play a role. “We all possess memories that may remain unretrievable for years, or even decades, residing in a dormant state within the brain,” Dr. Ramirez elaborated. “Yet, these latent memories likely influence our behavior and identity.”
Technological Advancements and Future Possibilities
Dr. Agarwal and other experts anticipate that technology enabling controlled activation or deactivation of specific memories is a matter of time.
Insights into “infantile amnesia,” the phenomenon of our inability to recall early childhood events, might provide crucial clues. Scientists have already achieved breakthroughs in mice, successfully reactivating memories previously deemed erased by this occurrence.
“This suggests the existence of at least two versions of ourselves within a single brain – one consciously accessible and another that is not,” Dr. Ramirez proposed.
He further added, “Real-life severance, in this context, mirrors this concept but applies it to different parts of the day rather than across a lifespan, similar notion, different timeline.”
Brain Regions and Memory Manipulation
Creating a memory-altering chip akin to the one in “Severance” would necessitate targeting key brain areas like the hippocampi—essential for memory formation—and the amygdala—regulating emotions, according to Dr. Jordina Rincon-Torroella, assistant professor of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University, as mentioned in Time.
“Memory and emotions are closely intertwined,” Dr. Rincon-Torroella stated. “These regions would be primary targets if considering the feasibility of identity division.”
Current Brain Technology and Ethical Considerations
While a memory-severance chip may seem like science fiction, brain implant technology for medical treatments is already a reality.
“If it were suggested years ago that we would implant electrodes to stimulate the brain for paralysis, obsessive-compulsive disorder, addiction, severe depression, or obesity, it might have seemed implausible,” Dr. Agarwal commented.
“However, such procedures are now performed regularly in major academic centers worldwide,” he affirmed.
Numerous companies are innovating to modify brain function using electrical stimulation.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink, for instance, focuses on developing brain chips designed to enable quadriplegics to operate computers and devices through thought.
However, manipulating memory and consciousness presents a significantly greater challenge, laden with serious ethical implications.
Ethical Implications of Memory and Identity
“Memory is not merely about storing information; it is profoundly linked to our sense of self,” emphasized Dr. Bing (Baibing Chen).
“In ‘Severance,’ the separation of work and personal memories raises fundamental questions about identity. If one lacks recollection of their life outside of work, does a complete identity truly exist?”
Real-world neurological conditions provide insights into how such alterations can affect an individual’s self-perception.
Neurological Conditions and Identity
For example, hippocampal damage can impair the formation of new memories, effectively trapping individuals in the present, similar to the “innies” in “Severance,” Dr. Bing explained.
“Conversely, Alzheimer’s disease demonstrates how memory loss can profoundly alter personality and behavior,” he further stated. “Severing connections to the past can significantly reshape an individual’s actions and relationships.”