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I'd have to go with little to no memory. I just think it's more interesting when the transformee loses some control of their body. Maybe a memory of their surroundings and perhaps some close friends and family, but only in an instinctual form.

Posted the previous message in the wrong place. Sorry.

I think that no memory would lead to savage werewolves which would make it seem that all werewolves are evil monsters

Unless we're dealing with the "Cursed" version of the Werewolf, where the Wulf might actually be somebody else; as in Multiple Personality Disorder.

I'd have to say that HAVING a memory of it would be a better way to go if you truly want to make a good story out of it.

Having a memory of it would open up *more* possibilities than having no memory at all, which really limits your options when the person has no recollection or control of their actions. Being conscious of your actions, and thus some possibility control, no matter any urges you might feel that drive your actions, puts a greater responsibility on the person in question: If they lose control or not, it's not like it's *someone else* doing it in their body.


Although, with what RedEye said about the "No Memory" idea being like Multiple Personality Disorder....what if for SOME people it was exactly that? Not for ALL werewolves, but if the person just couldn't handle it mentally, what if they just snapped, went a little bit crazy, and DID form a split personality that took over whenever they shifted? That seems to me like a very real and dangerous possibility if somebody just wasn't able to mentally handle the surprise of their first shift.

I have to agree with RedEye there. It would seem that the werewolf would have to have memories of what he/she did in their wolf form. I mean, the brain isn't being altered in a serious way so that the werewolf would have no memories of beind a wolf.

yes but it has been reported that victims of post trumatic stress syndrome had lost all memory of the past events. Transforming into a werewolf and then terrorizing the neighborhood would be pretty tramatic.

exaple of PTSS

Stephen King say his friend get hit by a train infront of him and then later couldn't remember anything about the scene.

Well, that is true. But I mean, the werewolf wouldn't be getting a concusion or anything... well unless they did get a concusion in his/her wolf form.
Is that what you were saying Night Hunter?

I much prefer retained memory. Granted, emotional duress can play havoc with memories, so the werewolves in my stories sometimes have memory problems the first few shifts, but this is because of human psychology rather than werewolf physiology. It comes up a lot less in the stories set in the future, when people know werewolves exist.

I do think being shifted would create a tendency towards a different state of mind, though with a bit of concentration one in shifted form could still solve math problems, debate the merits and flaws of Ayn Rand's objectivism (provided one got past the speech problems), and play tennis. The mind would tend to be a bit more feral, living in the moment and focusing on one's surroundings. It would be a great state in which to train for martial arts or Zen Buddhist philosophy.