The False Memory Syndrome Foundation (FMSF) was a nonprofit organization founded in 1992 and dissolved on December 31, 2019. The FMSF was created by Pamela and Peter Freyd, after their adult daughter Jennifer Freyd accused Peter Freyd of sexual abuse when she was a child. The FMSF describes its purpose as the examination of the concept of false memory syndrome and recovered memory therapy and advocacy on behalf of individuals believed to be falsely accused of child sexual abuse with a focus on preventing future incidents, helping individuals and reconciling families affected by FMS, publicizing information about FMS, sponsoring research on it and attempting to discover methods to distinguish a true or false allegation of abuse. This initial group was composed of academics and professionals and the organization sought out researchers in the fields of memory and clinical practice to form its advisory board. The goal of the FMSF expanded to become more than an advocacy organization, also attempting to address the issues of memory that seemed to have caused the behavioral changes in their now-adult children. Mike Stanton in the Columbia Journalism Review stated that the FMSF "helped revolutionize the way the press and the public view one of the angriest debates in America—whether an adult can suddenly remember long-forgotten childhood abuse". It originated the terms false memory syndrome and recovered memory therapy to describe, respectively, what they believe is the orientation of patients towards confabulations created by inappropriate psychotherapy, and the methods through which these confabulations are created. Neither term is acknowledged by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but they are included in public advisory guidelines relating to mental health. The FMSF has been accused of misrepresenting the science of memory, protecting child abusers  and encouraging a societal denial of the existence of child sexual abuse. Ralph Underwager was a member of the foundation's scientific advisory board in 1993 when his comments from a 1991 article in Paidika: The Journal of Paedophilia came to public awareness. The article contained statements which were interpreted as supportive of paedophilia. In the controversy that followed, Underwager resigned from the FMSF's scientific advisory board. Underwager later stated that the quotations in the Paidika article were taken out of context, used to discredit his ability to testify in courts and  through guilt by association, damage the reputation of the FMSF. The founders of the FMS Foundation had been concerned that alleged recovered memories were being reported after the use of controversial therapy techniques that including hypnosis, relaxation exercises, guided imagery, drug-mediated interviews, body memories, literal dream interpretation and journaling. It is the position of the FMSF that there is no scientific evidence that the use of consciousness-altering techniques such as these can reveal or accurately elaborate factual information about previously forgotten past experiences, including sexual abuse. The FMSF was defunct as of December 31, 2019. J.A. Walker described the FMSF as reversing the gains made by feminists and victims in gaining acknowledgment of the incestuous sexual abuse of children. S.J. Dallam criticized the foundation for describing itself as a scientific organization while undertaking partisan political and social activity.
The False Memory Syndrome Foundation (FMSF) was a nonprofit organization founded in 1992 and dissolved in late 2019. The FMSF was created by Pamela and Peter Freyd, after their adult daughter Jennifer Freyd accused Peter Freyd of sexual abuse when she was a child. The FMSF described its purpose as the examination of the concept of false memory syndrome and recovered memory therapy and advocacy on behalf of individuals believed to be falsely accused of child sexual abuse with a focus on preventing future incidents, helping individuals and reconciling families affected by FMS, publicizing information about FMS, sponsoring research on it and discovering methods to distinguish true and false memories of abuse. This initial group was composed of academics and professionals and the organization sought out researchers in the fields of memory and clinical practice to form its advisory board. The goal of the FMSF expanded to become more than an advocacy organization, also attempting to address the issues of memory that seemed to have caused the behavioral changes in their now-adult children. Mike Stanton in the Columbia Journalism Review stated that the FMSF "helped revolutionize the way the press and the public view one of the angriest debates in America—whether an adult can suddenly remember long-forgotten childhood abuse". It originated the terms false memory syndrome and recovered memory therapy to describe, respectively, what they hypothesized to be the orientation of patients towards confabulations created by inappropriate psychotherapy, and the methods through which these confabulations are created. Neither term is acknowledged by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but they are included in public advisory guidelines relating to mental health. The FMSF has been accused of misrepresenting the science of memory, protecting child abusers , and encouraging a societal denial of the existence of child sexual abuse. Ralph Underwager was a member of the foundation's scientific advisory board in 1993 when his comments from a 1991 article in Paidika: The Journal of Paedophilia came to public awareness. The article contained statements which were interpreted as supportive of paedophilia. In the controversy that followed, Underwager resigned from the FMSF's scientific advisory board. Underwager later stated that the quotations in the Paidika article were taken out of context, used to discredit his ability to testify in courts and , through guilt by association, damage the reputation of the FMSF. The founders of the FMS Foundation were concerned alleged 'recovered memories' were being reported after the use of controversial therapy techniques , including hypnosis, relaxation exercises, guided imagery, drug-mediated interviews, body memories, literal dream interpretation and journaling. It is the position of the FMSF that there is no scientific evidence that the use of consciousness-altering techniques such as these can reveal or accurately elaborate factual information about previously forgotten past experiences, including sexual abuse. The FMSF dissolved on December 31, 2019, quoting the increasing number of internet forums for people concerned about false memories to meet on outside of the Foundation. J.A. Walker claimed the FMSF reversed the gains made by feminists and victims in gaining acknowledgment of the incestuous sexual abuse of children. S.J. Dallam criticized the foundation for describing itself as a scientific organization while undertaking partisan political and social activity.
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