In the cinematic imaginary, the way to erase or replace memories used to be via psychological and biological strategies such as hypnosis, drugs or electroshock therapy. In the digital age, however, this is more frequently accomplished via a range of ready technological solutions, seemingly inspired by cognitive neuroscience, including machines such as functional MRI, which provide real-time access to visualizations of neural activities in the brain. When and how did this transformation take place? Is it simply a convenience of feature film and television script writing to be able to have characters with replaceable or malleable memories?