Personal Memories and Nostalgia | Psychology Today United Kingdom

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data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div> </div> </div> <div class="layout-container--grid layout-container--primary-left-rail"> <div class="layout-content-main"> <div> <div id="block-pt-content" class="block">       <article data-history-node-id="5000191" role="article" class="subpage--full center-page"> <div class="content-header d-flex reference-header"> <div class="content-header--text"> <h1 class="reference__title section-title">Personal Memories and Nostalgia</h1> <p class="reference__review-info fine-print"> <a href="/gb/docs/editorial-process" class="reference__review-info-link"> <span class="reference__review-info-icon"></span> <span class="reference__review-info-text">Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff</span> </a> </p> </div> </div> <div> <div class="reference__body"> <div class="field-name-body"> <p>When an individual reflects on who she is, she may think about the characteristic ways she behaves, her career, her closest relationships and what they mean to her, and her goals and motivations. All of these elements of her psychological self-portrait have roots in the past. They are grounded in the memories of past decisions and reactions, setbacks and accomplishments, moments of love or inspiration, and more.</p> <p>Memory allows us to know ourselves—to develop a sense of who we are, what our lives are like, and why—based on facts and impressions gathered throughout our lives to date. It is fundamental to a rich sense of self that stretches back to our first years and forward into the future.</p> </div> </div> <div class="table-of-contents border-top"> <h4 class="table-of-contents--title">On This Page</h4> <ul> <li class="table-of-contents--item"> <a href="#autobiographical-memory"> Autobiographical Memory </a> </li> <li class="table-of-contents--item"> <a href="#early-memories"> Early Memories </a> </li> <li class="table-of-contents--item"> <a href="#emotional-memories-and-nostalgia"> Emotional Memories and Nostalgia </a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="reference__sections"> <div> <div> <div class="section section--separator"> <div id="autobiographical-memory" class="section-anchor skip-inline-link-filter"></div> <div class="h2 section-title"> Autobiographical Memory </div> <div class="section__body"> <article> </article> <p>Autobiographical memory is a broad category of memories related to a person’s own life. This complex body of information can range from basic details about one’s past to vivid impressions of significant personal experiences. Together, they form a person’s internal life story.</p> </div> <div class="faqs"> <div class="faq faq--1"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> What are some examples of autobiographical memory? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Autobiographical memory includes memories of specific, personally experienced events, such as meeting a friend on the first day of high school, as well as experiences on a more general level (going to parties in high school). It also includes straightforward factual details about one’s life—such as what school one went to, and when—and other memories about oneself in the past, like how one tended to behave as a teenager. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--2"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> Why is autobiographical memory important? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>The collection of memories about one’s life allows for the development and refinement of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/insight-therapy/202001/our-memories-ourselves">a sense of self</a>, including who one is, how one has changed, and what one might be like in the future. It allows a person to identify connections between personally relevant events across time (and between those events and one’s sense of self), but also significant changes—all of which can be sources of meaning. The life stories people develop based on autobiographical memory also become a way to communicate who they are to others.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--3 collapsed"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> How does autobiographical memory develop? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Autobiographical memory, in the sense of memories woven together into a life story, appears to emerge during the preschool years and develop through childhood. Children become increasingly able to organize memories in terms of when they were formed and how they relate to each other. In adolescence, research suggests, they become able to describe how their memories (of how they behaved in a past situation, for example) connect to their own personalities. While autobiographical memory draws heavily on personal experience, it is also fed and influenced by social interactions with parents, friends, and others. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--4 collapsed"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> What is the difference between autobiographical memory and episodic memory? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Episodic memories, which are memories of personally experienced events, form an important part of autobiographical memory. But autobiographical memory also includes other kinds of memory about one’s life, such as the memory of one’s name, birth date, and countless other factual details, and memories of the personal past that are not tied to a particular time and place.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--5 collapsed faq--last"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> What are involuntary autobiographical memories? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>While people often deliberately call up memories of their past experiences, they often pop into consciousness unexpectedly. In such instances, they are described by some experts as <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/time-travelling-apollo/201611/coffee-maker-or-time-machine">involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs).</a> IAMs may be triggered by a sensory cue, such as a distinctive smell, sound, or image, that one associates with a past experience.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div class="section section--separator"> <div id="early-memories" class="section-anchor skip-inline-link-filter"></div> <div class="h2 section-title"> Early Memories </div> <div class="section__body"> <article> </article> <p>While most people don’t remember much from the first years of childhood, the memories that remain can be vivid and personally meaningful. These earliest long-term memories, which often date back to the preschool years, help make up the beginning of our autobiographical memory. Yet well before these lasting memories are formed, babies' brains retain information learn from the world around them.</p> </div> <div class="faqs"> <div class="faq faq--1"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> What is the youngest age you can remember? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>The fourth year of life (specifically ages 3 to 3-and-a-half) is the window to which which adults trace their earliest memories, research suggests—though there is some evidence that people tend to misdate these memories and that they may actually be formed somewhat earlier. There is variation between individuals: Some people claim first memories from age 2, while others’ earliest memories are from later in childhood. The average age of earliest memories may also vary somewhat across cultures. The relative lack of memories from early childhood is called childhood amnesia or infantile amnesia.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--2"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> What are our earliest memories usually about? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>The <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/longing-nostalgia/201504/what-your-oldest-memories-reveal-about-you">earliest memories that people recall</a> can be about a range of experiences, from playing with friends, to negative events, such as the memory of an early accident. First memories are often based on emotional experiences. Early memories that are connected to a specific time and place and have a clear theme may also be more likely to be retained.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--3 collapsed faq--last"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> At what age does memory start? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Memory begins in the first year of life, though memories seem to be relatively time-limited until the end of the second year. Infants show recognition of familiar images, for example, and the ability to remember and imitate simple physical actions, and the durability of these memories increases with age. By the end of the second year of life, research indicates, toddlers are able to remember learned actions after a delay of up to 12 months.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div class="section section--separator"> <div id="emotional-memories-and-nostalgia" class="section-anchor skip-inline-link-filter"></div> <div class="h2 section-title"> Emotional Memories and Nostalgia </div> <div class="section__body"> <article> </article> <p>Emotion is a powerful force for sealing experiences into memory, and some of the most important parts of our life stories are memories of emotionally-intense experiences. Moments of ecstasy, awe, or tranquility may loom large in our library of personal memories, as do the times we felt unprecedented shock or fear. Remembering the past surfaces both positive and negative feelings—and nostalgia, the longing for a fondly remembered past, can involve a blend of both.</p> </div> <div class="faqs"> <div class="faq faq--1"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> How are emotions linked to memories? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Many memories of past experiences include potent impressions of the fear, anger, sadness, excitement, joy, or other emotions a person felt at the time. Emotional experiences generally seem <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/making-memories/202005/what-do-we-remember">more likely to be remembered</a> and may constitute important parts of one’s autobiographical memory. The “emotional enhancement” of memory may have evolved in part because it helps to preserve information that is useful for future behavior (for instance, knowing that a particular person or thing poses a threat and should be avoided).</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--2"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> What is nostalgia? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/hide-and-seek/201411/the-meaning-nostalgia">Nostalgia is a longing for the past</a>, an experience often described as bittersweet. People may experience nostalgia when they think back to a carefree moment in youth, a fondly remembered relationship that ended, the beginning of a career or other endeavor, or any other experience or time period that seem to positively contrast with the present in some way.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--3 collapsed"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> Is it good to be nostalgic? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Whether nostalgia is beneficial, and to what extent, has been debated. Some psychologists have argued that nostalgia can have positive effects such as boosting mood and a sense of optimism, and that <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/time-travelling-apollo/202004/using-nostalgia-cope-covid">it can help people cope</a> with loneliness and other aversive experiences. Yet recent research suggests that in day-to-day life, spontaneous instances of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/ulterior-motives/202009/does-nostalgia-make-you-happy-or-sad">nostalgia may not tend to make people feel better.</a> The emotional impact of nostalgia might depend on <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/time-travelling-apollo/201606/the-two-faces-nostalgia">the way in which one thinks about the past</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--4 collapsed"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> What triggers nostalgia? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/time-travelling-apollo/201602/the-mysterious-connection-between-smell-and-our-past">Particular smells</a> or tastes, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/time-travelling-apollo/201711/unforgettable-memory-tripping-one-hit-wonders">songs from the past,</a> objects, times of year, feelings, and many other kinds of cues can whisk someone away into nostalgic reminiscence. People may be <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/talking-apes/202003/the-psychology-nostalgia">more likely to experience nostalgia</a> when they are in a relatively low mood, as well as when they are with loved ones or while using social media, contexts which may provide many of the above-mentioned cues.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="faq faq--5 collapsed faq--last"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <div class="faq--title d-flex"> <div itemprop="name" class="h3 faq--question"> What are flashbulb memories? </div> <div class="faq--control-container"> <button class="faq--control"> <div class="faq--control-icon"> <svg width="13px" height="8px" viewBox="0 0 13 8" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">  <desc>Created with Sketch.</desc> <defs></defs> <g id="-small" stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"> <g id="Tests---Listing-Page---SM" transform="translate(-490.000000, -597.000000)" fill="#2C2D30"> <g id="Left-col" transform="translate(74.000000, 162.000000)"> <g id="Table" transform="translate(0.000000, 426.000000)"> <polygon id="navigatedown" points="422.310547 16.3125 428.621094 10.0019531 427.62793 9 422.310547 14.3173828 416.993164 9 416 10.0019531"></polygon> </g> </g> </g> </g> </svg> </div> </button> </div> </div> <div itemscope="" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer" class="faq--answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p>Flashbulb memories are based on emotionally stirring personal experiences of distinctive events, such as national tragedies. <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/why-bad-looks-good/202009/why-we-recall-where-we-were-when-we-heard-shocking-news">Personal memories of these shocking events</a> often remain vivid long after they are created and may stand out as landmarks in one’s autobiographical memory.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="center--next_page_link d-flex"> <a href="/gb/basics/memory/memory-loss" title="Memory Loss">Next: Memory Loss</a> <div class="center--next_page_arrow"></div> </div> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="js-view-dom-id-e598a75875b98bad4b1545699cb9968b817a42a0c1aaccc2b40478926663bbef"> <section class="basics--essential-reads"> <div class="h2 page-section-header">Essential Reads</div> <div class="teaser--card-inset-details--row"> <article class="teaser--card-inset-details blog_entry--teaser--card-inset-details" data-nid="5026979"> <div class="card-inset-details__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/homeless-mind/202411/countering-cognitive-immobility"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_3_2_600x400/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/anita-jankovic-m5oFzzrcKwc-unsplash.jpg?itok=hynmiHzM" width="600" height="400" alt="" title="Anita Jankovic / Unsplash" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-inset-details__body"> <div class="card-inset-details__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/homeless-mind/202411/countering-cognitive-immobility" title="Countering Cognitive Immobility"> Countering Cognitive Immobility </a> </div> <div class="card-inset-details__teaser-text"> Feeling stuck in the past can weigh on our minds, holding us back from the present. 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Here's why and how to create鈥攐r continue鈥攆amily rituals. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5027168"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/what-is-a-human/202411/why-we-tell-stories"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/pexels-centre-for-ageing-better-55954677-17153148.jpg?itok=xyM8Dvz1" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Centre for Ageing Better/Pexels" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/what-is-a-human/202411/why-we-tell-stories" rel="bookmark">Why We Tell Stories </a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> Storytelling is a universal human activity. We tell stories in order to communicate knowledge and fantasies, but also to resolve conflicts. The brain is apt at remembering stories. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> Storytelling is a universal human activity. We tell stories in order to communicate knowledge and fantasies, but also to resolve conflicts. The brain is apt at remembering stories. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026621"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/the-elusive-brain/202411/twenty-first-century-grief"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/Asher%20image.jpg?itok=FSHeK1Hu" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Courtesy of Asher Young" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/the-elusive-brain/202411/twenty-first-century-grief" rel="bookmark">Twenty-First-Century Grief</a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> Asher stages an ephemeral reunion with those we've lost, whose three-dimensional image is surrounded and sometimes subsumed by darting light and color. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> Asher stages an ephemeral reunion with those we've lost, whose three-dimensional image is surrounded and sometimes subsumed by darting light and color. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026847"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/how-writing-works/202411/does-the-generation-effect-in-advertising-still-work"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/pexels-satoshi-2070033.jpg?itok=8Rk6AGvy" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Satoshi Hiroyama/Pexels" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/how-writing-works/202411/does-the-generation-effect-in-advertising-still-work" rel="bookmark">Does the 'Generation Effect' in Advertising Still Work? </a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> Marketeers use generation effects to bolster the memorability of ads. But what if its effects are laboratory illusions? And do generation effects work in multicultural societies? </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> Marketeers use generation effects to bolster the memorability of ads. But what if its effects are laboratory illusions? And do generation effects work in multicultural societies? </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026833"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/life-gets-better/202411/avoiding-trauma-keeps-it-alive"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/many%20colors.jpg?itok=t8EXNtCy" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Wendy Lustbader" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/life-gets-better/202411/avoiding-trauma-keeps-it-alive" rel="bookmark">Avoiding Trauma Keeps It Alive</a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> Breaking out of isolation and talking about what happened with a trusted friend or therapist greatly reduces the burden of what is remembered. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> Breaking out of isolation and talking about what happened with a trusted friend or therapist greatly reduces the burden of what is remembered. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026667"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/202411/why-decorating-early-for-christmas-may-make-you"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/shutterstock_2382272081.jpg?itok=-_aMq3yQ" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Bbernard / Shutterstock" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/202411/why-decorating-early-for-christmas-may-make-you" rel="bookmark">Why Decorating Early for Christmas May Make You Happier</a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> You might feel social pressure to wait until Thanksgiving before you start decorating for Christmas. But decorating early can have some surprising benefits for your mental health. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> You might feel social pressure to wait until Thanksgiving before you start decorating for Christmas. But decorating early can have some surprising benefits for your mental health. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026629"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/time-travelling-with-apollo/202411/shaping-the-episodes-of-our-memory"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-11/Memories.jpg?itok=K9asAGGy" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Michal Jarmoluk / Pixabay" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/time-travelling-with-apollo/202411/shaping-the-episodes-of-our-memory" rel="bookmark">Shaping the "Episodes" of Our Memory</a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> Emotional ups and downs may account for the episodic nature of our memory. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> Emotional ups and downs may account for the episodic nature of our memory. </p> </article> </div> <div class="teaser-listing-item"> <article class="teaser teaser-lg blog-entry--teaser" data-nid="5026519"> <div class="teaser-lg--main"> <div class="teaser-lg__image"> <a href="/gb/blog/homeless-mind/202410/cognitive-immobility"><img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_288x288/public/teaser_image/blog_entry/2024-10/edwin-andrade-5CpS8deLsDY-unsplash.jpg?itok=CMs8ygxP" width="288" height="288" alt="" title="Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash" /> </a> </div> <div class="teaser-lg__details"> <div class="h2 teaser-lg__title"> <a href="/gb/blog/homeless-mind/202410/cognitive-immobility" rel="bookmark">The Challenge of Cognitive Immobility</a> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--desktop"> If you have relocated, you may have left something behind such as a relationship, a home, a feeling of safety, or sense of belonging. As a result, you may be mentally entrapped. </p> </div> </div> <p class="teaser-lg__summary teaser-lg__teaser--mobile"> If you have relocated, you may have left something behind such as a relationship, a home, a feeling of safety, or sense of belonging. 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