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Hypnotic recall and flashback: the remembrance of things present
Confinia Psychiatrica. Borderland of Psychiatry. Grenzgebiete Der Psychiatrie. Les Confins De La Psychiatrie
|January 1, 1976
Summary
This study explores two types of flashbacks: self-programmed and species-survival narratives. Flashbackers show unique traits like sensory input reduction and hypnotizability, linking to brain activity and memory recall.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Flashbacks are categorized into intra-individual (self-programmed) and inter-individual (species-survival narratives).
- Both types are context-dependent, influenced by arousal states, environment (set and setting), and culture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the psychological and physiological traits of individuals who experience flashbacks.
- To differentiate flashbacks from hypnotic recall based on induction methods.
Main Methods:
- The study identifies key characteristics of "flashbackers" based on perceptual-behavioral tasks and physiological markers.
- It compares the induction of flashbacks with hypnotic recall, distinguishing between induction methods and the resulting states of consciousness.
Main Results:
- Flashbackers exhibit high variability in cognitive tasks, tend to minimize sensory input, have high resting heart rates, and are hypnotizable.
- They show a preference for right cerebral hemispheric cognition and display EEG-alpha dominance in a resting state.
- Flashback and hypnotic recall induction methods differ, but the induced states can overlap on a perception-hallucination-meditation continuum.
Conclusions:
- Flashbacks are arousal-state and context-bound experiences.
- Individual differences in flashbackers suggest a broad cognitive repertoire and specific neurological predispositions.
- Hypnotic induction can lead to states similar to flashbacks, suggesting a continuum of consciousness experiences.