[ There are pretty nasty things in that forest, Elena couldn't in good conscience let people venture through it on their own without trying to keep them safe. Especially not after she'd been assaulted by one of those creepy spiders herself. ]

I'd rather not get into the specifics, but it's painless, and it can be reversed. [ It's not the most forthcoming answer, but anything more would be saying too much. ] It's just a method of burying memories, that's all.