Final answer:
The process where the mind subconsciously hides traumatic memories is known as repression, a concept originally postulated by Freud and widely debated in the field of psychology, especially regarding its role in disorders like PTSD.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomenon where the mind pushes some traumatic memory into the unconscious, only to stay there until it is released, is known as repression. If we liken the psyche to a car, turning up the radio to drown out a strange noise due to lack of funds for repair can be similar to how overwhelming memories can be repressed, thereby removing them from conscious awareness. Freud famously theorized that these memories could be blocked due to the anxiety they cause. This might result in symptoms appearing in areas unrelated to the memory itself. The debate in the field of psychology regarding the validity and recoverability of such memories continues, with proponents advocating the existence of repression and opponents such as Loftus challenging the possibility of repressing and later recovering memories through therapeutic techniques. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for developing treatments for disorders like post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), where recollection of traumatic events can impair functioning.