Flashbacks, intrusions, mind-wandering - Instances of an involuntary memory spectrum: a commentary on Takarangi, Strange, and Lindsay (2014)

T. Meyer*, H. Otgaar, T. Smeets

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In their paper, Takarangi, Strange, and Lindsay (2014) showed in two experiments that participants who had witnessed a shocking film frequently "mind-wandered without awareness" about the content of the film. More importantly, they equated this effect with the occurrence of traumatic intrusions. In this commentary, we argue that the authors adhered to conceptually ambiguous terms, and thereby unintentionally contribute to an already existing conceptual blur in the trauma-memory field. We postulate that clear definitions are urgently needed for phenomena such as intrusions, flashbacks, and mind-wandering, when using them in the context of trauma memory. Furthermore, our proposal is that these phenomena can fall under a spectrum of different involuntary memory instances. We propose that by adopting stricter definitions and viewing them as separate, but interrelated phenomena, different lines of trauma-memory research can be reconciled, which would considerably advance the field. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)24-29
Number of pages6
JournalConsciousness and Cognition
Volume33
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2015

Keywords

  • AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORIES
  • DISSOCIATIONS
  • EXPERIENCE
  • INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES
  • Intrusions
  • Involuntary autobiographical memories
  • MECHANISMS
  • META-CONSCIOUSNESS
  • Meta-awareness
  • Mind-wandering
  • POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER
  • PTSD
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • RESPONSES
  • TRAUMA
  • Trauma
  • Trauma film paradigm

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