 It has been suggested that inducing selective amnesia for particular events or stimuli in patients may be an effective tool in psychotherapy.Alexander (1953) found that administering electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to patients suffering from a traumatic life event induces selective amnesia for the traumatic event without effecting the patient's surrounding memories.This finding, as well as other similar findings, has been used to form a hypothesis concerning the mechanisms underlying ECT.